A Tangled Web
by Rudbeck
Summary: What happens when you discover that many of the choices you have made in your life were shaped by the hidden agenda of others? Would you feel like nothing more that a pawn in a chess match? Will this revelation make Regina and Emma stronger or will they question whether their growing feelings, toward each other, are simply being manipulated by the real players in this game?
1. Chapter 1

The sounds of the forest gently waif over the edge of a lake before slowly disappearing as a an older woman, Ana, slowly walks a trail along the edge of the lake. She stops, closing her eyes and listening as the sounds of the forest resumed once her presence was accepted. Her arms open wide feeling every part of her body absorbing the peacefulness and solitude that was being freely offered. The smile that appears feels forced, falters, causing the Ana's eyes to snap open. Her eyes widen as she feels the smile returning much easier than before. "Well, well. Who would have ever thought that that was possible?"

Ana resumes walking along the edge of the lake her eyes and her posture relaxed yet listening and observing everything around her. She stops near a rock outcrop, studying it and then walking forward to slide in between the rocks into a well hidden cave. A whispered, "Perfect," echoes softly along the rock walls before evaporating like a soft breeze that is barely felt before disappearing as quietly and as gently as it had come.

Emma Swan storms into the Sheriff's office her frustration evident by the glass rattling when she slams the door hard enough that it bounces open. She walks to the center of the room and stops. Her hands coming to rest on her hips, as her fingers tighten in frustration. She tilts her head back closing her eyes releasing a low growl when her cell phone buzzes with an incoming text. She ignores the text knowing instantly that it is another of the citizens of Storybrooke that seem unable to take care of the smallest of problems. "Days like today make me almost wish I had never come to this town."

Another buzz from her phone has her jerking the offending object out of her pocket and slamming it down on her desk. Her badge soon rests along side the phone. Her frustration is even more evident by the removal off her red leather jacket and heaving it across her desk where it slams into her chair and then slides unnoticed to the floor. The ripple of air as the jacket flies over the desk creates a landslide of paperwork, that she swears multiplies over night just to taunt her, that buries her phone and her badge.

Emma stalks to the window, staring out at the town, contemplating how much her life had changed for the better and yet somethings that had changed, that she only admitted quietly to herself, were for the worse. She was no longer responsible only for her actions and the massively increased responsibilities were wearing on her mentally and physically. Everyone expected her to help them with whatever problem they were having but who was she suppose to ask for help. She wanted to have someone simply hold her and let her be herself without judging or criticizing her actions. Someone to help ease the weight she carries on her shoulders. Someone that was simply there for her and her alone.

Her hand roughly combs through her hair before turning to study the room that mocks her with its emptiness. Her head tilts to one sides as a tentative smile appears on her face. She walks to her desk, opens the center drawer, removes a key ring and tosses them into the air before grabbing them and slipping them into her pocket. She starts to leave, hesitates before grabbing a piece of paper and quickly scribbling on it. A piece of tape is placed on the paper before she quickly walks over and attaches the paper to the glass of the door. She hesitates in the door way, listening before quietly sliding out of the room pulling the door shut behind her. The locking of the door echoes in the empty room.

Ana relaxes in a recessed doorway, her eyes on the rear entrance of the Sheriff's office. She smiles as the door barely opens allowing Emma to quietly slip out and dart for the safety of an alley before disappearing from sight. She pushes off the wall whispering to herself, "And now it begins," before walking into the alley.

The bell on the door of Granny's dings as Mary-Margaret enters the diner. She steps to the counter waiting for Ruby to finish serving a customer.

Ruby walks over to Mary-Margaret "Want your usual?"

"No, have you seen Emma?"

Mary-Margaret's eyes are full of concern that has Ruby leaning closer so that only the two of them are involved in the conversation. "What's wrong?"

"She isn't answering her phone."

Ruby shrugs her shoulder, "She was here for her usual this morning, but I haven't seen or heard from her since then. Maybe she was called out for something."

"Could be. But," Mary-Margaret taps her fingers on the counter, " Something doesn't feel right. And it's not like Emma to at least call."

"I don't think there's anything to worry about. But if you're that concerned then I'll ask everyone that comes in if they've seen her. Maybe she just wants some alone time. Especially after the last couple of weeks. Everyone has been asking for her help and Madame Mayor… she's been her usual sparkling personality when it comes to Emma."

"Perhaps but if she truly didn't want to be found we both know she can find the least likely place that we would ever look for her."

Granny emerges from the kitchen. "Then ask Regina. She always seems to know where Emma is."

Mary-Margaret and Ruby glance sideways at each other and then to Granny. "Like Regina would ever voluntarily help us find Emma. We all know she wants her out of Storybrooke."

Granny leans closer to the two women, "But think how annoyed Regina would be if she was forced to help find the one person she rather never see again. Gold may be a splinter in Regina's finger but Emma is the thorn in her side." She taps Ruby's arm, "You need to get back to serving the customers and asking, and I realize this might be difficult for you Ruby, without raising any suspicions about why you're asking if anyone has seen Emma." She lays her hand on Mary-Margaret's nervous fingers, stilling them "Why don't you try the Sheriff's office. She's probably just has the lights off so everyone will assume she's not there." Granny smiles at the two women before re-entering the kitchen.

Mary-Margaret turns to leave the diner and looks back at Ruby, "If…"

"I'll call."

Mary-Margaret nods her head towards Ruby before a deeper look of concern crosses her face about Emma's whereabouts as she walks out of the diner.

Ana watches from a distance as Emma glances around before using a key to open a locked door and quickly disappears into the interior of the building. The door softly locks as it closes behind her.

A light illuminates the interior revealing a large object in the middle of the room covered by a canvas cover. Emma pulls the cover off slowly uncovering Graham's motorcycle, a helmet with a dark visor and a leather jacket resting on the seat. She trails her fingers along the cycle remembering the rides she took when she first came to Storybrooke before clutching the jacket to her chest.

A single tear slides down Emma's cheek and is soon joined by more dampening the jacket that she clutches like a life preserver. The trembling in her body begins and intensifies as the powerful emotions that she had been so careful to keep in check, in fear, both of Regina using them against her and the fear these emotions if fully unleashed would destroy her, are forcing themselves to be dealt with. Unknowingly she steps back until her back is against the wall and slowly slides down until her knees are against her chest, her head buried in the jacket that now covers her knees. Anguished, deep soul wrenching sobs break the silence of the room.

Emma lifts her head until the mass of blonde curls are resting against the wall, tears still streaking down her cheeks. She struggles to regain control of her emotions but with an inner strength and determination that had helped her survive everything life had thrown at her soon replaces the feeling of loneliness and frustration that had lead to the small but much needed cathartic cleansing that allowed her to regain control of her emotions. Her fingers wipe away the remaining tears both from her face and the leather jacket.

She stands, steps toward the bike, pulling the keys from her pocket before sitting astride the bike and starting it. The rumbling of the engine brings a smile to her face as she ties her hair into a ponytail before pulling on the jacket. She makes sure that her ponytail and her well known curls are hidden beneath the jacket before removing a door remote from an inside pocket of the jacket and then zipping it up. She puts on the helmet and aims the remote at the door. As it starts to open she closes the visor, hiding her identity from the casual glance of anyone.

Emma pushes the remote again, puts the bike into motion and exits the garage as the door begins to close.

The staccato clicking of heels echo along the dim hallway of the Sheriff's office. The silhouette of a figure can be seen, through the glass of the door, removing the paper that had been taped to the door. A click is heard as the now unlocked door opens with an annoyed Regina Mills striding into the empty office, crumpling the taped paper from the door in her hand.

The buzz of a text message has Regina checking her phone only to realize that it's not her phone buzzing. An eyebrow rises as she scrolls through her contacts before sending a short text. The buzzing sound has Regina walking over to the Sheriff's desk studying the piles of paper spread over the top of the desk. "Really Sheriff." She shuffles papers revealing Emma's phone and badge. She starts to pick both items up but instead pushes them to one side and runs a finger over the piece of paper that the phone and badge were resting on. Her eyebrows furrow as she quickly reads the various words and doodles that are randomly written in every direction on the paper.

A decidedly unfriendly, yet nervous, "Regina," has her looking towards the doorway to find Mary-Margaret holding onto the doorknob for support, "Have you seen, Emma?"

"I have no idea where Miss Swan is. Nor do I care, except she is, as usual, not doing her job. And that is not acceptable." One corner of Regina's mouth curls into a slight sneer, "And if I did know where she was, why would I tell you?"

Mary-Margaret steps further into the darkened room. "I'm concerned. This isn't like her not to answer her phone."

Regina lifts Emma's phone from the desk and uses the movement to hide the paper she had been studying. "Rather difficult to answer a phone when you don't take it with you."

"Now I am worried."

"Perhaps Miss Swan finally decided to leave. After all, as her past has proven, she is very good at running from her problems.

Mary-Margaret shakes her head, "No, she wouldn't leave her son."

Regina's eyes darken in rage as she takes a step towards Mary-Margaret, who takes a step back. "Henry is my son, not hers." She turns and angrily gathers some of the papers on the desk including the one with doodles. "And now because Miss Swan has decided to randomly disappear, I am forced to do her job as well." She places the papers, Emma's phone and badge in her purse not noticing the red leather jacket that rests on the chair mostly hidden by the desk. She brushes past, ignoring Mary-Margaret as she strides out the door.

Emma rides slowly along an old gravel trail that is surrounded on all sides by trees. When the gravel ends, she parks the bike, removes her helmet and leaves it hanging from the handlebars. She pockets the keys and unzips her jacket as she walks down a barely discernible dirt path.

From out of the tree line Ana appears and follows Emma down the path. She's startled when Emma abruptly appears in front of her. "Care to explain why you've been following me?"

Ana's laughter rings across the lake. She continues to laugh as she walks past Emma towards the lake but is un-expectantly brought to an abrupt halt by Emma's hand on her arm.

A wide eyed, shocked look appears on Emma's face as images from her life begin to flash before her eyes building speed until they are moving so fast that her brain can't comprehend. She drops to her knees as the images continue to bombard her but she is unable to release her grip on Ana's arm.

Regina sits at her desk in the mayor's office rereading the paper she had removed from the Sheriff's office. A barely noticeable lifting of one corner of the paper has her looking up in annoyance that someone would dare to enter her office without permission. Her head tilts to one side when she realizes that no one has entered the room nor can she determine the source of the air movement that had so clearly moved the paper she was studying.

Deciding it must have been her breath that caused the movement, Regina resumes reading until she abruptly pushes back from her desk, gripping the edge of the desk in excruciating pain. A softly uttered, and if anyone had heard her, she would have denied saying it, "Emma," has her clutching her chest but not where her heart would be. Rather her hand curls into a fist over the center of her chest where her soul once resided but is now where a void of emptiness resides.

The pain of her missing soul continues to grow until Regina finally succumbs to the welcoming darkness of unconsciousness. But even in unconsciousness, her curled fingers further tighten as if a battle was being fought to safeguard the small fragments of her soul that still resided within her. A battle, that these small fragments had only survived by burying themselves in the darkness that surrounded them when the curse was invoked.

The pain that Regina was feeling gave strength to her soul fragments and proved what many had thought impossible, that the Evil Queen was still capable of feeling something other than hatred and contempt for those around her. That the evil that darkened everything The Queen touched was not fully encompassing. That there was still a flicker of goodness, no matter how slight, that was struggling to survive. Henry entering her life created a fracture but his simple presence could not give enough strength for the soul fragments to fight but he was enough to give them hope and the strength to endure for the upcoming battle. A battle that if lost would extinguish the last flicker of goodness in Regina.

Ana steps away from Emma breaking their physical connection. She watches Emma struggle to regain her equilibrium. A hoarse but surprisingly strong, "Who are you?" Has Ana amazed at how fast Emma is recovering. "And what the hell just happened?"

The smirk in Ana's response of, "Which question would you like me to answer?" Results in a growl from Emma and a much stronger, "Both."

Ana laughs, "All in due time my dear Miss Swan. But the question I will answer first, even though you haven't asked it is, why am I here?"

Emma stands, swaying from dizziness. She closes her eyes and slowly relaxes her breathing until the dizziness passes. She opens her eyes to find Ana studying her with a smirk and if she looked closely a flicker of surprise and amazement.

"Impressive. I've only meant one other person that recovered faster than you have after touching me."

"Who was that?"

Ana taps her finger against her lips as she ponders the question. "Perhaps I'll tell you sometime. But I believe you have a question to ask me."

Emma stares at Ana and finally asks, "Why are you here?"

Ana smiles and holds out her hands in a manner of saying, now was that so hard, "To tell you why the choice you made to come to Storybrooke changed so many lives but most importantly how it changed your life."

Emma laughs at the earnest look of Ana. "I came because my son, that I had given up for adoption, ran away from home and I brought him back."

Anna nods her head in agreement, "That's true. But you decided to stay and that changed everything."

A perplexed Emma rubs her eyes in frustration before tilting her head to one side studying Ana. "I know I'm going to regret this but how did it change everything?"

"You mean if you had left your son and returned to your life in Boston?"

"Yes. Now answer the question."

"It's very simple," Ana steps closer to Emma, " You, Emma Swan would be dead."

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Just borrowing the characters.

Chapter 2

Emma's eyes narrow at Ana's casual statement. "Explain exactly how you would know what would have happened to me if I had returned to Boston." She takes a step forward, her hand reaching out to grab Ana's arm before pausing and the pulling away after remembering what happened when she had previously touched the other woman. Instead her hands curl into fists and come to rest on her hips. She leans forward invading Ana's personal space as much as possible without actually touching the other woman.

Ana smiles at Emma's attempt to force her into explaining herself. "Now this is the Emma Swan I was expecting. Not the one who was sitting on a floor, feeling sorry for herself and having," she taps her chin in thought, "ah yes, a cleansing cry." She laughs at the look of disbelief that Emma quickly replaces with a hardened look that she often uses when dealing with Regina and her frequent attempts to control everything and everyone.

"Nice trick. I'd almost have to wonder if you had taken lessons from Regina but I've come to learn that she doesn't like to share….anything. Especially her methods of trying to control or intimidate others. And since you don't seem to be able to answer my simple question, I'll be going." She turns to walk away when her arm is ensnared in Ana's surprisingly strong grip, spun around and pulled closer to the smirking woman.

"Do really expect me to believe that you're not interested in anything I have to say? Even now you're wondering why," she grasps Emma's other arm, "You're not reacting to my touch." Ana abruptly releases her grasp and steps closer until the women are separated by mere inches. "As for controlling people, Mayor Mills…limited…knowledge will never equal what I know nor what I am capable of." She spins on her heel and begins walking towards the lake leaving a stunned and confused Emma simply staring after her.

"Who are you? And why are here?"

Ana glances over her shoulder as she continues walking. "My name is Anagke but you can call me Ana. And I'm here to show you how the choices you've made have affected your fate as well as those around you. Especially the one person you're not even aware that you are searching for. And I don't mean your son Henry." She turns her head back towards the lake as a smile appears on her face as the sound of Emma's footsteps rapidly following her.

Eyes still closed, Regina's fingers gently massage her forehead. The only sounds are of her slow, measured breathing and the small moans as the tension is slowly released with every stroke of her fingers break the silence of the room. She lifts her head from the desk and sits back in her chair. The clenched fist, that rests over where her soul should reside, slowly relaxes until her fingers are spread out and unconsciously begin to move in a soothing circular motion.

The pain that flares in the brown eyes, as they open, is replaced with anger over the fact that she had allowed herself to be, even though she's not sure exactly how it came to be, in a compromised situation. She continues the soothing motion of her fingers on her chest as the anger changes to confusion over what's happened. And if she questioned that something had happened, other than her falling a sleep at her desk, which she would never admit could ever happen, the ache in her chest was proof that something had and still is happening.

Her fingers continue there soothing motion as her eyes lower to the sheet of paper that she had been studying. One finger of her free hand pulls the paper closer as her eyes once again peruses, and to the casual glance it looked nothing more than randomly drawn circles that were connected by penciled lines that varied in darkness and width, the doodles on the paper. Her finger traces around one of the circles and then follows one of the lines to another circle. Every movement of her finger on the paper is mirrored by the fingers on her chest. So lost in thought Regina fails to register that the door to her office has opened admitting her son Henry.

Henry stands in the doorway, his head tilted, much like his mother Emma, to one side as he studies his, and rarely seen, distracted other mother. Quietly he closes the door and approaches his lost in thought mother. His eyes are drawn to the paper, and the drawings, on the desk that his mother's finger continues to trace. Eyebrows furrow in thought when he realizes that both of his mother's hands are mirroring each other in their movements with the only difference being one is tracing the designs on a paper and the other is tracing the same designs on Regina's chest.

Startled brown eyes finally register that Henry has not only entered her office, without her realizing his presence, but she also can't determine how long he has been standing beside her desk studying her. Her fingers cease all movement. "Henry, did you just get here?"

Henry studies his mother knowing that her rather benign question proves how flustered she is at being caught unaware. And truthfully he can't remember ever catching his mother in this type of situation before, but things have been changing ever since Mary-Margaret gave him the book. He just isn't able to determine whether catching his mother like this is a good thing or a bad thing. He smiles at her, which adds to her flustered state, "Yeah. I overheard Ruby asking Leroy if he had seen Emma. Where is Emma? She's not answering her phone." His eyes widen slightly when his mother's eyes refuse to meet his and the fingers on her chest resume there soothing motion.

"I'm not sure where Emma, I mean Miss Swan is." The slight crack in Regina's voice, that most people would never have heard, has Henry listening more intently. "I mean I've been looking for her also."

Henry smiles before laying one hand on his mother's arm. "She probably just wants some alone time." Then surprising his mother he wraps his arms around her in a tight hug.

Regina's arms automatically engulf Henry in a hug that have, since his reading of that damn book, been few and far between. She just manages to keep herself from reacting to the small jolt of electricity that seems to have passed between her and Henry. She tries to dismiss it as nothing more than normal static electricity but this feels different, a difference that slips from her attention as she relaxes in the feeling of her son's arms around her.

If she hadn't lost herself in the soothing feeling of her son's arms around her, Regina would have stopped the electricity, as small as it is, from coursing through her body. But it was arcing through her, right to the small fragments of her soul, that were growing stronger with every passing moment.

Henry pulls back from the hug but keeps his arms on his mother. For a brief moment he sees the bright eyed, freed from any burden girl that his mother had been before the mask that is Mayor Mills slams back into place. But unlike other times, the mask isn't as solid nor as fierce. He can see the cracks in her mask and smiles to himself that for the first time he truly believes the Evil Queen can be defeated and perhaps have back the mother he had long before the book ever entered their lives. "I'm gonna go." He turns to go, stops at the door and looks back at his mother. "Mom," the simple term brings a smile to Regina's face, "Don't worry, Emma will be back. She'd never leave us." He smiles at the widening of his mother's eyes and the shocked look that appears on her face before he slips quietly out the door.

Regina's senses are so overwhelmed with Henry's statement that the woman, who refused to back down from any challenge or obstacle that was placed in her path, would be returning that she fails to notice that Henry has left her office. She sits back in her chair lost in thought, her fingers once again stroking the middle of her chest. She suddenly stands, absentmindedly grabs her purse and leaves her office. Her cell phone rests on her desk, left behind in her haste to exit the room.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Just borrowing the characters except for Ana/Anagke.**  
**I find cell phones a necessary evil which is why both Regina and Emma always seems to either be losing theirs or leaving theirs behind.**

**Chapter 3**

Emma follows Ana to the edge of the lake reaching for her cell phone. She searches her pockets for her cell and then runs her fingers through her hair in frustration as she discovers that not only has she left the Sheriff's office without her cell phone, she has also left her badge and her gun. "Great. With the way today's been going I should be thankful," she glances down at her fully clothed body, "That I'm fully dressed."

She looks around only to discover that Ana is no longer in view. "Really? What is it with this town. People seeming to appear and disappear with ease. It almost makes me believe the stories in Henry's book are real." She looks around almost expecting someone or something to jump out and yell, "_You're on a hidden camera show and everything you've been experiencing is nothing more than a hollywood production_."

With a shake of her head she walks in the same direction that Ana had until she comes to a seemingly seamless rock outcrop. Only a faint breeze against her face has her reaching out with her hand until she can feel where the breeze is emanating from. She hesitates and squares her shoulders in a move designed to make her feel more confident, "This can't be worse than stepping into the Lion's den better known as Regina's office." before stepping closer and slipping through the well hidden fissure.

Regina strides down the street with a confidence fitting her stature as the Mayor but in truth she is hiding behind the facade of her Mayoral mask, a mask of indifference that has been carefully crafted over the years. But if anyone had taken the time to look closer, which few were daring enough do and even if they did find the strength to study Regina, they would have never voiced their opinions to her, they would have seen the barely discernible tightening of her facial features. Some would scoff and say, _"That's the way she always looks, always focused. She lets nothing bother her._" Ordinarily, she let few things or people bother her, but today was proving to be anything but ordinary.

A sigh of disgust and a flicker of annoyance crosses her face when Mr. Gold emerges from an alley and directly into her path. She refuses to step back at the near collision. "Ah, Mayor Mills. I was hoping to run into you."

Barely stopping herself from rolling her eyes, Regina carefully answers in a tone of disinterest, "One more step and you would have run into me."

Gold glances down at how close they are standing, and smiling that smile that makes everyone feel like they need to take a bath to wash away the slime, he takes a slight step to one side. "How goes the search for Miss Swan?"

"Fine."

"I see. Then I'm sure that you have already been informed that she was seen riding the late Sheriff Graham's motorcycle." Gold studies Regina, chuckling to himself at the slight narrowing of her eyes, that most people would have been quivering from but simply intrigued Gold, at the mention of the late Sheriff.

"Someone did mention they had seen her."

Gold nods and starts to step past Regina when he pauses and leans closer as if they were sharing a secret that was to remain between the two of them. The almost taunting tone of, "I hope Miss Swan returns. Her leaving would be so detrimental to more than just your son." sends a cascade of loathing down Regina's spine that she barely keeps from being seen.

Regina leans forward until she is invading Gold's personal space. Her eyes confident as she refuses to acknowledge the loathing she feels for him, "Are you including yourself in that observation Mr. Gold?"

A sly smile, that always has Regina thinking he knows more than he pretends to, is opposite of the concern in his voice. "But of course Madam Mayor. After all I am simply a citizen concerned about our esteemed Sheriff. Are you?"

She fights to keep her tone as level as possible at Gold's fake sincerity. "Concerned? Of course I am."

Gold continues to smile. "We wouldn't want anyone to think different, now would we?"

Regina barely contains the snarl that is threatening to erupt from her. "No, we wouldn't."

"I will of course keep you informed of any relevant information on Miss Swan's whereabouts." Gold nods, steps past Regina and begins walking away. He stops, looking back to find her watching him, "I hope you find what you're looking for Madame Mayor." The snake charming smile that appears on his face almost has her stepping forward to remove it with a hard smack. He chuckles and resumes walking down the street, the tapping of his cane sounding like a hammer that is slowly driving nails against an impenetrable object.

Regina's hand unconsciously resumes its soothing motion on her chest as she tries to divest herself of the loathing she feels every time she has to deal with Gold and the facade that hides his arrogance. She turns and walks away wondering what involvement Gold has with Emma being gone and how he gathers information that she herself is unaware of.

Emma steps out of the fissure into the cave where a smiling Ana awaits. She looks around at the barren, yet smooth surface of the cave and sweeps her hand in a motion to encompass the cave, "This is what you wanted me to see? An empty cave."

Ana shakes her head in amusement. "Really Miss Swan, you of all people should know that nothing is ever as simple as it appears to be. Watch and learn." She claps her hands and a spindle appears on the cave floor. Ana slowly spreads her arms wide and as she does, a small wave of air becomes visible and grows in intensity until it bounces off the walls and spreads over the entire cave.

Emma watches in amazement and disbelief as the air around her swirls with waves and colors. The spindle begins to spin gathering the swirls of waves and colors, spinning them together creating fine strands of filaments that begin to bend, change shape and grow into what looks like a spider web. Some of the strands curl until they form what appears to be a solid node. The remaining finer strands attach themselves to the edge of the nodes. Each strand grows at a different rate. Some quickly thicken to the width of a pencil or some to the thickness of the graphite lead that each pencil contains. On each strand other strands have attached themselves creating an interlocking web of connections though some have narrowed to the thickness of a human hair with their ends fluttering unattached.

The strands continue to grow and connect with each other and begin to change colors. Soon the spider web that is being spun around Emma is a kaleidoscope of colors. Black, white, red, blue, green, yellow, purple and brown are coloring every strand and some strands are interwoven with multiple threads of color. Some of the colors are vibrant and pulsing with intensity. Others have dulled until they are almost invisible and only the fluttering of movement on the air currents reveals their continued presence.

Ana laughs at the myriad of emotions that are reflected in Emma's face that range from confusion to disbelief and everything in between. "Ask your questions and I'll answer them. Within reason, of course."

Emma starts to speak, stops, closes her eyes and shakes her head. She opens her eyes and still before her is the spider web of colors. "I know I'm going to regret asking this but who are you? And what am I looking at?"

"Right to the point." Ana steps closer to Emma. "My name is a Anangke and I control the fates and circumstances of all. What you are looking at are your fate lines, the choices you've made and how those choices altered your life. There are also the choices that you could have made, but didn't."

Emma rubs her eyes, "You expect me to believe that everything that has happened to me is contained in these," Waves her hand at the web of colors, "Whatever these are?"

"Yes. Is that so hard to believe?"

"Seriously?" Emma slaps her cheek to wake herself up from an obvious nightmare only to find that this is no nightmare. She takes a deep breath, "Fine. Lets say that I believe what you're implying, what do you want from me?"

"I want you to simply open yourself up to the possibilities of what may have been and could still be. And then choose the path you truly desire for yourself not what others think it should be."

"Then show me in these fate lines why my parents abandoned me."

"No."

"Why not?" Emma says angrily.

"This is not the time for you to discover who your parents are and why they were forced to give you up."

Emma takes a step towards Ana, her body tensing from the anger that is building within her. "They were forced? What the hell does that mean?"

"It means what it means. And you will understand fully when certain conditions are met."

"Now you're putting conditions on what parts of my past that I'm allowed to discover? She smirks and crosses her arms with a look of you've been busted and laughs. "I'm not surprised you refused. Because, how can you tell me something that you couldn't possibly know? But I can tell you that I," taps her chest, "Don't believe in fairy tales and magic."

"And yet a part of you does believe or at least wants to be given a reason to believe. Otherwise you wouldn't have stayed."

Emma angrily steps closer to Ana. "I stayed to be involved in my son's life."

"The son that believes his adoptive mother is the Evil Queen, that everyone in town is a fairy tale character and that you are the Savior that will break the curse and free everyone. That son?"

"Yes."

"You're lying to me and more importantly, you're lying to yourself. You do believe in magic or at least the possibility that it exists." Ana reaches through the threads on one of the nodes and slowly pulls forward a dark blood red thread, so vibrant in color and pulsating with so much life, that every colored thread around it pales in comparison. "Because you and I both know you have other, even though you haven't admitted it to yourself, more personal reasons to stay, besides being involved in your son's life."

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

A/N This will eventually be Swan Queen.  
Anything italicized did not happen but rather is a possibility if Emma had chosen differently.

Chapter 4

Regina enters Granny's diner to the sound of conversations abruptly melting into silence before quickly being replaced with voices raised louder than normal in an attempt to hide the truth of what was being discussed- the missing Sheriff and the prominent role the Mayor was sure to have played in her disappearance. She ignores the glances, the occasional glare as well as the remarks that are quickly hidden behind a bites of food or drinks. And to the surprise of almost everyone in the diner, she approaches Mary-Margaret and takes a seat on the opposite side of the booth.

Regina studies the nervous woman sitting across from her. She takes a breath trying to rid herself of the disgust that she can still feel after her, thankfully, short conversation with Mr. Gold. A soft, "Miss Blanchard," has the woman is question raising her eyebrows at the uncharacteristic softness coming from the Mayor. "How often does Sheriff Swan ride Graham's motorcycle?"

Mary-Margaret mouth opens but she quickly closes it in surprise that the Mayor knows about Emma riding the motorcycle. But this is the Mayor and she always seems to know everything, well apparently not everything, which is evident by her question. "A few times. She would take it out after some rather heated yelling matches that she had….." Her voice trails off at the slight narrowing of the Mayor's eyes.

"Had with me."

"Yes." Mary-Margaret studies the flickering emotions on the Mayor's face over the revelation of why Emma would go riding. Unconsciously she reaches out and covers Regina's hand and gives the tense fingers under hers a comforting squeeze and is surprised when she receives a corresponding squeeze from Regina. A terse, "May…," is quickly bitten off and replaced with a softer, "Regina. She'll be back. This is isn't the first time she's taken some time to clear her head as she calls it."

"Did she ever leave her badge and gun?"

"No. But I only saw her after her rides. I'm not even sure where she keeps the motorcycle."

"No one has seen her for most of today."

"She hasn't been in contact with Henry?"

Regina reaches into her purse and sets Emma's phone on the table. "It would be difficult since she left her phone in her office."

Mary-Margaret finger taps against the cell phone as she studies Regina before leaning forward and dropping her voice to a level that only Regina could hear. And if she was asked why she didn't want any of the people in the diner, who were trying to act like they weren't interested, when in fact they were were dying with curiosity, from overhearing she would remind them that it was a private conversation and not for public consumption. "I know we have a complicated history that is mostly animosity, but I don't want to see you hurting."

Regina tries to wrench her hand free, her eyes narrowing in anger when Mary-Margaret not only refuses to relax her grip, she tightens her grip keeping Regina's fingers encased within hers.

A whispered, "Why do you care about what I want?"

"Because I care about Emma and for some reason, even though you two rarely seem to be able to carry on a conversation without fighting, she does care about you." Mary-Margaret holds up her free hand to stopping Regina's protest before it ever crosses her lips. "She cares and it's not just because of Henry."

Mary-Margaret releases Regina's fingers and slides out of the booth. She glances around the diner, smiling as every person abruptly finds something on their table more interesting than Regina and herself. She turns back to Regina, leans closer and whispers, "If you want help to find Emma, just ask and everyone will be there to help. And I mean everyone." She grasps Regina's shoulder in a quick show of support before turning and walking toward the entrance of the diner leaving a stunned and at a loss for words woman sitting by herself.

So deep in thought, Regina fails to realize that a fresh cup of coffee and a folder are sitting on the table in front her until the movement of the table pushing against her as Ruby sits down. Her eyes blink and one eyebrow rises, "Miss Lucas."

Ruby studies Regina before a smile appears on her face. "We," nods her head towards the people in the diner, "Are all concerned about Emma. Tell us what you need us to do and we'll get it done."

Regina looks around the diner to find everyone nodding their heads in agreement at Ruby's comment. Her back straightens before stating in a strong voice, that has a faint trace of thankfulness in it, "Alright. Let's find our Sheriff." The crowd in the diner step closer to their Mayor, ready to begin to take their orders.

An incensed Emma snarls at Ana. "Let me get this right. You want me to believe that if I had returned to Boston, I would be dead and now you're telling me that me staying for my son was not the real reason that I remained."

Ana releases the blood red thread and it slowly slides behind the other threads as if being protected. She turns to Emma, "Whether you want to believe it or not I am telling you the truth."

"Prove it."

Ana tilts her head to one side studying Emma before pointing to one of the smaller nodes that was once white but now has a slightly dirty hue. There are a number of the almost invisible threads that are only attached to the node at one end. "This is when you returned to Boston and resumed your job in bail bonds and these," she randomly touches a few of the unattached threads, "Are the bond jumpers that were in the files you were carrying the night Henry knocked on your door."

Emma mutters a less than impressed, "Lucky guess."

Ana ignores Emma and taps one of the threads. "Tell me what you know of a Sharon Michaels?"

Emma's eyes narrow at the name. "How….She was a small time pot smoker that was being used by her boyfriend. They got caught with a trunk full of product. She convinced the courts that she knew nothing about what was in the trunk of the car and she was allowed to bond out."

"She would have been one of the first cases you were to handle on your return to Boston. Watch and see what would have happened if you had gone after her when she failed to appear in court."

The thread in under Ana's finger begins to pulsate and lengthen. It curls around until it forms into a node that appears to be filled with a glittering semitransparent liquid. _The image of a run down Boston street slowly emerges. As the scene becomes clearer, Emma can see herself exiting her VW and walking towards a house that once had been beautiful but those days were a very long gone. Now the once meticulously maintained yard was strewn with litter and overgrown weeds. Junked cars and car parts sit in the driveway and on the street in front of the house._

_She steps around the gate that barely hangs from the one hinge that isn't completely broken and walks up the crumbling concrete sidewalk. The door has seen better days but sounds solid when she knocks on it. Wary of her surroundings, she takes a step back and to one side._

_The door barely opens and a very nervous Sharon Michaels peers around the edge. "Are you alone?"_

_Emma's at ease posture is designed to make her clients feel relaxed but in reality she was hyper-aware of her surroundings. She had learned the hard way to never let her guard down when she was on the job. In fact she rarely let her guard down, which is why she rarely let any one get close to her professionally and even fewer, personally. The smile on her face was also designed to put her clients at ease, and them not to take a runner on her when she showed up to take them in, and it worked as Ms. Michaels opens her door, motioning Emma to enter the house._

_The smile never leaves her face as she shakes her head in the negative, "I'm sorry Ms. Michaels, but you need to step outside."_

_Ms. Michaels takes a step back into the shadows of her house but still in view of Emma. "I can't. He's waiting for me. That's why I never showed for court."_

_"Tell that to the court and he'll go to jail and you'll be free of him." Emma holds out her hand offering support to the extremely nervous woman, her smile encouraging to take the first step. "This is your chance. If you don't take it, you'll be forever looking over your shoulder. And I can tell you from personal experience that that is no way to live."_

_Ms. Michaels starts to take a step further into the house and the door begins to close. It pauses at the commanding, "Don't." that comes from Emma, who has dropped the smile, "Ms. Michaels, you have two options, me or the police. And I can assure you that I am by far the better and more sympathetic option." With no movement from the doorway, Emma sighs, "You've left me with no choice but to call the police." She has no intention of phoning the police and loosing the bond but that is not something she plans on telling the woman in the doorway. Still to make her think that she is caring out the threat of calling the police, she removes her cell phone from a pocket, dials a number and waits for it to be answered. "Hello, I have information on a fugitive that…."_

_A terrified, "Please don't. I'll come with you." comes from Ms. Michaels, who has stepped out of the house._

_Smiling internally, Emma speaks into the phone, "Sorry, mistaken identity." and ends the call. "Wise decision. The sooner you get to court the sooner you can start a new life."_

_A trembling Sharon Michaels exits the house and darts to the protection that Emma is offering. The fear is evident in her voice. "How long before this is over?"_

_Emma grasps her arm, leads her out of the litter strewn yard and to the passenger door of her yellow VW bug. After making sure she is safely ensconced in the passenger seat, Emma quickly rounds the car and gets behind the wheel. The car quickly pulls away from the curb._

_Emma shrugs her shoulders and rubs the back of her neck as she constantly checks her mirrors and the road around her. Her building tension comes out in a terse, "Make sure your seatbelt is tight."_

_Ms. Michaels responds to Emma's increased tension, by tightening her seatbelt. Her head is moving side to side trying to look everywhere at once. And if her head could have rotated three hundred and sixty degrees, it might have seen the large truck, with dark tinted windows, that appeared on the street behind them and was closing fast._

_Emma's eyes widen when she looks into her rearview mirror and the only thing she can see is the large truck that is almost upon them. She slams her foot onto the accelerator almost screaming, "Come on. Move faster." Her car picks up speed but not fast enough to avoid the first hard jolt from the collision with the truck. The impact sends the much smaller VW into a fish tale. She uses the momentum to turn down a side street. Her quick turn catches the driver of the truck by surprise as the truck misses the turn which gives Emma a chance to increase the distance between the two vehicles. A quick glance at her passenger finds Ms. Michaels hanging limply in her seat belt, passed out in fear._

_Emma's attention hastily returns to the truck that is once again chasing her. The distance between the two is rapidly decreasing. She tries to use the smaller size of the VW to her advantage to out maneuver the truck but the narrow streets of Boston conspire against her by limiting her options. She jerks the steering wheel hard to the right, the tires squealing as the car takes the corner on two wheels. Unfortunately rather than increasing the distance between the two vehicles it allows the truck to close, clipping the rear bumper of the VW, rolling it._

_When the car comes to rest on its roof, Emma is disoriented enough that her movements of trying to free herself and her passenger are too slow. She reaches for her seatbelt to release herself when when she is violently thrown into the side window as the truck's front bumper slams into the side of it. The loud screeching of metal is heard as the VW, sliding on its roof, is pushed down the street until it is crushed against the side of another car. The truck backs away from the crushed VW._

_Blood slowly seeps out of the smashed windows mixing with a spreading pool of gasoline. The large truck sits idling nearby. The driver's side window opens and the lit end of a cigar can be seen glowing brighter with every inhale by the driver. As the truck begins to move forward towards the VW, the cigar is flicked out the window, its glowing end arcing through the air. The large truck accelerates away as the cigar lands in the spreading gasoline. A whoosh is heard followed by an explosion as the gasoline ignites, engulfing the VW in flames._

The thread that had created the node uncurls and resumed its almost invisible presence with its unattached end fluttering in the air currents. Emma eyes are wide open in disbelief over what allegedly would have been her fate if she had returned to Boston. A shaky, "If I believe that….that really was my fate, what would have happened to Henry."

"So you believe now?"

Emma shakes her head trying to dismiss the image of her death from her mind. "I never said that." She rubs her eyes with the heel of her hand. "I just want to know what would have happened to Henry if I had died."

Her best weapon in this battle to convince Emma that she speaks the truth, is the one possible truth that could go one of two ways. Either Emma accepts what Ana is saying is the truth or at the worst drive her further into denial. For once in her existence, she isn't sure what will happen but she has no choice and will deal with the consequences, "He would have been devastated."

Even without her superpower, Emma can easily see that Ana is telling the truth, just not the whole truth. "What aren't you telling me?"

"Every emotion is easily manipulated, especially by someone who wants to exploit the situation. Henry would have been easy to manipulate after your death. It would have taken very little to focus all of his hatred on Regina and convinced him that the Evil Queen had the Savior killed so that the curse could continue."

Emma crosses her arms, her fingers tapping out a rhythm on her arm, "And since he already believes that the Evil Queen would do anything to stay in control, whoever was taking advantage of him in his fragile state could entice him into doing something that would normally be against his nature."

"Perhaps. But as I said this was one of the possible fates for Henry." Ana studies Emma, who is biting her lower lip, deep in thought. "But why do you care? You've made it abundantly clear that you don't believe in his fairy tale book. You don't believe what you just witnessed could have easily been your fate…."

Emma gestures towards the spider web of colors, "Except as you keep reminding me, I stayed. And this simple act means I've changed the fates of everyone in Storybrooke."

"You have."

Emma's right hand motions in the air with her index finger almost touching her thumb, "I have a small problem with what you're trying so hard to convince me is true."

Ana sighs, "And what is that?"

She steps closer to Ana, invading her personal space yet making sure not to initiate any type of physical contact. Her steely resolve, that has helped her through some of the most difficult times in her life, is encased in a velvety smooth voice, "Of all the people you could have chosen, why am I being shown what could have happened if I had made different choices? What have I done that makes me this special?"

To say Ana was surprised by the impassioned tone in Emma's voice would be an understatement. In fact she can't remember the last time that someone had stood toe to toe with her, refusing to back down and always questioning rather than just accepting what she was saying as the truth. Lost in thought, she fails to notice Emma walking towards the fissure that leads out of the cave until her parting words, "When you can answer my questions, then come and find me."

Shaking her head, Emma exits the cave leaving a stunned and totally confused Ana standing in the middle of the spider web of colors. And for the first time, ever, she is at a loss for words.

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Thanks to Kween of Thorn for asking so many questions.  
Just borrowing the characters.

Chapter 5

Ana stands in absolute shock at Emma's refusal to accept the truth of what she was shown as well as her walking out of the cave. Her eyes furrow in contemplation trying to remember the last time anyone had dared to not only question everything but to actually invade her personal space and even dare to make actual physical contact. Her head cants to one side as her eyes study Emma's fate threads that are still spread over the interior of the cave. If someone had been watching they would have been concerned by the unmoving woman. But if they had looked closely they would have seen movement but it was restricted to only her eyes. Eyes that were following the various threads to some of the choices that were made or not made.

She takes a step forward. Her fingers are so close to one of the almost invisible threads that she can feel the minuscule pulse of life that still ebbs through it. But what is unexpected and shocking is the reaction of her hand as it hovers over the thread, it's trembling. The trembling ceases as she pulls her hand away. Perplexed at her reaction, she walks over to a different area of the cave and reaches her hand towards another almost invisible thread. And to her utter surprise, the trembling returns and intensifies the closer her hand gets to the almost transparent thread. She withdraws her hand, shaking her head with the contradiction that is Emma Swan.

"Well Miss Swan, you are definitely not what I was expecting. But then most people only see the exterior of a person and judge them by that." She walks over to the main node, hesitates, but her hand doesn't tremble as she reaches through the many threads to once again retrieve the dark red thread. "Fortunately what I can see is the true capacity of your heart and the soul." She can easily feel the strength that this thread contains as it rests in the palm of her hand. "You are going to need every bit of this connection…" Her other hand comes to rest holding the red thread between her palms, "But whether you will allow yourself to accept everything that comes with it, is the question?" The dark red thread pulsates with life, its color intensifying until the red is so dark that appears to be black.

Inside the Sheriff's office, on one wall is a large map of Storybrooke. The map is divided into quadrants. Within each quadrant are pinned slips of paper with names of who is searching that area as well as large X's. Only the nervous twirling of a pen in her hand is contrary to the composure that Regina exudes as she studies the map. She answers her ringing phone so quickly that one would have to wonder if the phone had actually rung. Forgoing her normal response, she simply answers with a firm but concerned, "Anything?" She walks over to the map marking a large X through where the entrance to the mine had been. "Move to the south of the mine entrance and search that area." Still studying the map she absentmindedly answers with a, "No one has reported seeing her." She ends the call.

So lost in thought while studying the map, Regina fails to notice that Mary-Margaret and Ruby, carrying takeout bags, have entered the office and have overheard her soft utterance of, "Emma, where are you?" The softness that is reflected in her voice, her face and in her eyes, give pause to the two women, who look at each other and then back to this very unexpected sight. On occasion they have seen Regina without her mask of indifference, more so lately since Emma's disappearance, but the woman that stands before them is someone they would never, ever had contemplated as being possible, a woman that was both vulnerable and hurting.

Not wanting to let the lost in thought Mayor know that they had overheard her, the two women carefully return to the door, open it and noisily close it. The vulnerability and hurting on Regina's face disappears but what surprises the other women is that the Mayoral Mask does not appear, but rather a concerned look takes residence.

Ruby holds up one of the bags. "Thought you might want something to eat. You haven't left since the search began."

Mary-Margaret walks over to Regina, hesitates, which is noticed but ignored by both women, and gently grasps Regina's arm. "You need to eat."

Regina glances at the map, then to the hand gently grasping her arm. Her eyebrow quirks in a move that if Emma had been in the room would have instantly known the scathing comment that the Mayor was about to unleash. "You're right I do need to keep my strength up for when we find Em…Sheriff Swan. She needs to know how unprofessional her behavior has been. There is also the expense the town has incurred with everyone out searching for her. Not to mention the inconvenience to my schedule that her unplanned excursion has created. If she needed time off, she should have filled out the required forms rather than running off like a petulant child."

If Ruby and Mary-Margaret had not been watching Regina so closely they wouldn't have seen the slight curling of her lips nor the twinkle in her eyes as she continued, "Sometimes I wonder who needs more supervision, Henry or Emma."

Both Mary-Margaret and Ruby's break into laughter at the unexpected dry wit of the formerly standoffish Mayor. In unison, they respond with, "Emma by far." Ruby wipes at her eyes, "We all know exactly how much Emma enjoys filling out reports. I mean how far behind is she on her monthly reports?"

Regina openly laughs, which is yet another surprise to the other women. "At least two months."

"Sounds like how often she does her laundry." At the questioning look from Regina, Mary-Margaret shakes her head. "I checked. All of her things are still in her room. Also her car is still here."

"She has Graham's motorcycle."

Ruby taps her fingers on a desk, "True, but we all know how much she loves her car. Do either of you truly believe that she would leave it here?"

Regina and Mary-Margaret answer in unison, "No."

Mary-Margaret points to Regina, "She would be afraid that Regina would have it towed to the salvage yard."

A chuckle escapes from Regina, "Not even sure they would accept it considering its dilapidated condition."

All three women laugh as they imagine the outrage that would be mixed with tears on Emma's face if her precious VW was sent to the salvage yard.

"Nor would she ever forgive us."

A more somber Regina looks at the other women, "No, she would forgive you two. Her hurt and anger would be directed at me and rightly so."

Surprising herself as well as Regina and Mary-Margaret, Ruby walks over to stand in from of Regina, "Then we would just have to set her straight that her car going to the salvage yard was for the good of the citizens of Storybrooke."

Once again the Sheriff's office is unexpectedly filled with the laughter of the three women. Ruby leans closer, wiggles her eyebrows while nodding towards Mary-Margaret, "We'll just have Mary-Margaret tell Emma what happened to her car."

"Why would I be the one to tell her?" a slightly annoyed Mary-Margaret asks.

"Because she can't stay mad at you."

Regina laughs at the thought of Emma storming out of her apartment to sleep in her car only remembering that said car now resides in the salvage yard. She shakes her head, "Knowing her, she'd be pounding on my door demanding that I order the salvage yard to release her car and refuse to leave my front porch until her precious death trap of a car was returned."

The ringing of Regina's cell phone returns the somber tone to the room.

The bell above the pawn shop door chimes as it opens admitting a woman. She walks around studying the various items that are on display. She pauses at one display case, her head tilting to one side as she studies the two dolls that are resting against an old cash register. They appear to be holding hands.

"They are very rare dolls." The woman looks up to find Mr. Gold, who has seemingly appeared out of nowhere, standing less than five feet away. "In fact they could be called one of a kind."

The woman glances at the dolls and then back to Mr. Gold, "A very rare indeed. But not exactly what I was looking for."

"What exactly are you looking for? I'm sure I can either procure what you need if I do not already have it."

"Shears."

"Ah but what kind of shears? Ones to trim flowers or trees? Or are you wanting ones to trim hair or perhaps clothing?"

"Threads. I want to remove a number of annoying threads."

"I find dangling threads to be most...annoying." Mr. Gold turns to a box that is sitting on the counter behind him. He opens the box and begins sorting the contents. "Now where did I put them? Ah yes here they are." Turning, he holds up an antique and well worn pair of sewing shears in his hands. He hands them to the woman. "I believe these will meet your requirements?"

The woman takes the shears, almost caressing them as she holds them in-between her palms. A smile that is more sinister than friendly appears in her eyes. "Yes, I believe that these are exactly what I am looking for. And the cost?"

A smug look appears on Gold's face, " I'm sure we can come to," he nods slightly toward the woman, "An agreement that would be mutually satisfying to both of us."

The woman puts the shears in her pocket, matching his smug look, "I'm sure we can." She follows him as he turns and walks into the back storeroom of the shop and away from any prying eyes.

Emma's annoyance is evident by the way she snatches the helmet from the handlebars almost causing the motorcycle to tip over. She yanks on the helmet before swiftly starting the engine and has the rear of the bike spinning in a tight half circle. Before the rear of the bike has completely swung around, she is already accelerating, sending gravel spewing from the tires. The bike rapidly disappears down the trail and is soon lost in the foliage.

The quietness of the surrounding area is broken by the roar of a green motorcycle, not really built for speed nor for truly aggressive driving, that is being pushed to its limits, and some would claim past its limits, by its driver. Tires can be heard squealing and fighting for traction as the bike, in every turn, is pushed to the extreme. Emma is leaning the bike so low to the ground as she takes each turn that she is in some places dragging her lower leg on the road. The slightest miscalculation could send both cartwheeling down the road and at the current speed, it would mean certain death.

The bike continues to roar down the road, its driver keeping as low a profile as possible. And just as quickly as the bike had accelerated, the squealing of brakes brings it to a skidding halt in the middle of the road at the sign that warns everyone they are about to leave Storybrooke. Emma sits on the vibrating bike, her hands still clutching the brakes unmoving. Her head turns toward the sign and then back over her shoulder and then back to the sign. Once again the bike is spun around and accelerates back down the road carrying its driver towards something that is undefined yet is compelling her to return.

An older pickup, driven by Leroy, is slowly traversing a seldom used road. "I don't know why she sent me here. Anyone could see that no ones been on this road for a long time." He sighs in relief when he sees the main road appear around a bend. "Finally." He slams on the brakes, even though it's not necessary as he is still some distance from the road, when a green motorcycle flashes past him. He scrambles to pick up his phone, where it had slid to the floor when he slammed on the brakes, and quickly dials a number. Before the person on the other end has time to say anything Leroy begins talking. "I found her. She's on the road heading for the town line but now she's headed back towards town." He pulls the phone from his ear, the Mayor's voice clearly, and rather loudly, telling him, _"To not let her out of your sight." _ He rolls his eyes and stares at his phone with a look of annoyance before loudly saying, "Are you crazy? She was driving too fast for me to catch up with her." A very annoyed and very loud, _"You stay with her Leroy or I will make sure that the next time you end up sleeping off one of your shenanigans in the jail, you will be spending more than just one night. Do I make myself clear?"_

Leroy's face turns ashen as he barely stumbles out a very scared, "Yes." When Regina ends the call, Leroy tosses his phone on the seat and puts the truck into motion, mumbling, "Who does she think she is, the Queen."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

A/N Anything in bold are thoughts.  
All mistakes are mine.

Chapter 6

The woman follows Mr. Gold through a doorway and into his storeroom that also doubles as a workshop. What work he actually does in this room has always been a whispered discussion among the citizens of Storybrooke. And the precious few that have actually crossed the threshold into this room could only describe it as a normal looking storeroom and yet the whispers continued as this was no ordinary storeroom, it was Mr. Gold's.

The woman looks around, inspecting some of the artifacts that rest on shelves in the room. Under a table she sees an unmarked box. Glancing at Mr. Gold, she points toward the box, "May I?" Only the quick tightening of his lips, which if the woman had not been watching intently, she would have missed, is replaced with a smirk, a nod of his head and a tone of indifference as he says, "I have nothing to hide."

The woman tilts her head to one side, the smile on her face revealing that she doesn't believe for one moment Mr. Gold's statement of innocence. She pulls the box out, opens it revealing glass jars in various sizes. She removes one of the jars, studying the small hole that is in the middle of the lid, before looking at Mr. Gold. "Not something I would expect to see in a pawn shop. Especially this one."

"You can never know what people are willing to part with when they become desperate. Perhaps this was all they had left. I of course would have to check my records to know whom those came from."

The woman replaces the jar and stands. "I don't believe for a moment that you can't tell me when and where everything in this store was obtained. Nor who the unfortunate sellers were."

"Unfortunate sellers? I'm not forcing them to sell. I am simply offering a service to those whose fortunes are in need of a monetary boost."

"The only boost, monetary or other, is yours." Is followed by a short bark of laughter from the woman that has Mr. Gold's hand on his cane clenching in anger.

"I am simply what you see, a businessman."

"You are far from simple and we both know it." A chuckle devoid of any humor escapes from the woman. "And do the people of this town know the real reason you are always wandering the streets at all hours of the day and night? Why you always seem to appear when they least expect it? Why you have," she points at the box of glass jars, "a need for these jars that appear so ordinary, when they are far from it?" She takes a step towards Mr. Gold, "And why you are rarely without that very specific cane that you are gripping so tightly?"

If any of the residents of Storybrooke had been in the storeroom at this precise moment, they would have seen something that no one, not even Regina Mills had ever seen, nor would ever have believed possible, a truly flummoxed Mr. Gold. But true to his nature, he recovers quickly and smirks his little smile trying desperately to return his normal mundane look that is crossed with amusement. "Walking is good for you and this cane was given to me by a dear friend. It reminds me of him every time I use it."

"Given to you?" Once again the woman's mirthless chuckle sends shivers down Mr. Gold's spine. "More like you took it. But tell me Mr. Gold did you take it before," she glances at the cane and then back to his stunned face, "or perhaps you waited until after he died?"

The gnashing of his teeth and the flare of anger in his eyes betrays the truth of the woman's statements. His loss of control is evident by the harsh snarl of, "I'm sorry but I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I just remembered a previous engagement that requires my immediate attention." He holds out his hand, indicating that the woman needs to exit not only the storeroom but also his store.

Her eyes twinkle with amusement as she pauses in front of him. She leans forward, invading his personal space, amused at his desperate attempt to control the ripple of fear that is cascading through his body from not only her presence but also at how bothered he is by her pointed comments. "I enjoyed this little encounter and I am so looking forward to the next time." Mr. Gold relaxes slightly as the woman exits the room and then is startled when she suddenly appears leaning against the door frame. "Oh, and that other thing you're searching for, I may," she shrugs her shoulders, "or may not know where it is. Good day Mr. Gold." She disappears from the door frame leaving a truly shocked Mr. Gold staring after her.

Leroy is driving as fast as he can in the battered old truck but still the highway in front of him remains empty of any other vehicles. He grips the steering wheel tighter, his jaw clenching in agitation as the truck begins to shake and the worn tires begin slipping on the pavement as they desperately search for traction, as he takes a turn much faster than he normally would. "Come on. Just stay together a little longer." The vibration of the truck continues to increase causing Leroy to slam his hand down on the dashboard. "Stay together or you'll be facing the Mayor's wrath and that means the junkyard." Much to his surprise, the intense vibrations seem to lessen. He chuckles in amazement as he shakes his head in disbelief, "Guess even old battered trucks know better than to incite the Mayor's wrath."

At the sound of an approaching motorcycle, Henry darts into a doorway and out of sight just as the motorcycle turns a corner and drives down the street past him. No one sees the motorcycle turn into an alley as the streets of Storybrooke, that are unsurprisingly void of people since many of the residents are searching for the Sheriff. He dashes across the street, carefully peering around the corner before disappearing down the alley.

He has barely entered the alley when he sees the motorcycle disappearing into a garage. He sprints for the garage door that is lowering but it clangs shut before he can reach it. Listening at the door, he hears the rumbling of the motorcycle end when the motor is shut off. Before he can raise his hand to knock on the door, it opens revealing Emma still wearing her leathers minus the helmet. "Are you coming in or what?" He darts through the doorway as the door slams shut and the door locks.

Emma is unzipping her jacket when Henry slams into her, almost knocking them both to the ground. "I knew you'd come back." She returns the hug then steps away from him. "Everyone's out looking for you?"

"Why is everyone out looking for me? I've only been gone for a couple of hours."

Henry steps back with a look of astonishment. "Emma, you've been gone for two days."

Emma shakes her head, "Kid, I should know how long I've been gone. And I'm telling you it's only been a few hours."

"Everyone needs to know…." Emma places her fingers on Henry's mouth forcing him to stop talking.

"Kid, I don't want you to tell anyone that you've seen me."

A muffled, "But why?"

She steps back, "I have my reasons."

Henry's eyes narrow in thought, "But that would be lying and…"

"Unless they ask you directly if you've seen me, then it's not lying."

"But…"

Emma sighs knowing that she has no right to ask Henry to lie for her. She massages her temples to ease the headache she can feel building. "Give me two hours and if I don't walk into the Sheriff's office then you can tell everyone you've seen me. Okay?"

The flash of fear on Henry's face that she'll leave again has her pulling him into a hug. "I promise you that I'll be there. I just need a little more time to think about some things."

The small hitch in the whispered, "You won't leave?" has Emma leaning back and cradling Henry's head in her hands. "I won't leave." She ruffles his hair at his smile before walking him over to the door.

She opens the door as he looks at her. "Two hours." She nods, holding up two fingers, "Two Hours." He quickly hugs her before darting out the door.

Mary-Margaret and Ruby watch as Regina's finger traces the highway line on the map where Emma was last seen. She taps the dotted line that branches off of the highway, "This is where Leroy said he saw her." Her finger continues to follow the highway. "Even if she was going the speed limit, she should have already returned."

Ruby taps her fingers on a clipboard that rests on the desk. "But no one's seen her. It's like she magically snapped her fingers and disappeared.

Regina barely manages to keep her fingers from shredding the paper of the map at Ruby's casual mention of magic. The muscles in her jaw are trembling and she barely keeps the building anger out of her voice. "We should all be thankful magic doesn't exist. Because I can't imagine her being able to control the power that comes with using magic."

Ruby eyes narrow at the odd phrasing of the Mayor's statement as if she believed magic did exist. Her thoughts are bouncing all over the place with possibilities. **"And if magic does exist, does that mean that everything in Henry's book was real? And if the stories were real, did that mean that Regina truly was the Evil Queen? Knowing this was not the time to be asking those question, especially if Regina was the Evil Queen. Besides who in their right mind would ask the Evil Queen if she truly was the Evil Queen. Okay Emma would, but then she's not lived under the thumb of Regina Mills."** So rather than vocalizing her thoughts she simply agrees with Regina's statement. "So magic doesn't exist. Then where did she go to?"

Mary-Margaret looks at the map thoughtfully. "There are some old trails that few people know about."

Regina spins around, her exasperated look has Ruby and Mary-Margaret, looking at each other before taking a step back. "Why didn't you say something earlier?"

Mary-Margaret's withers under the intense stare that Regina is leveling at her. "I….I forgot about them until just now."

"Show me where they are on the map?"

Mary-Margaret hesitates until Ruby rests her hand on her shoulder and the two women walk over to the map. Fingers trembling from fear and nervousness come to rest on part of the map that shows nothing but trees. She trails her finger from the highway to the lake. "The trails meander through the forest, but eventually they all end at the lake. But I'm not sure how overgrown they've become. I doubt Emma even knows these trails exist."

Regina stalks over to the desk and retrieves her phone. The two women wince in sympathy for the poor cell phone with every furious tap on the number pad. They expect at some point to hear the cracking of the phones protective cover from the torture that Regina's fingers are inflicting upon the poor inanimate object. The type of torture that would have the strongest of humans, and possibly inanimate objects, begging for mercy.

They breathe a sigh of relief when Regina begins talking. "Leroy, where are you?" She closes her eyes, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I want you to turn around and slowly make your way back to where you last saw the Sheriff. Somewhere between where you saw her and where you are now is a hidden trail." She pulls the phone away from her ear and Leroy can plainly be heard screaming, _"If it's hidden how am I suppose to find it?"_

A snarled, "Shut up," elicits immediate silence from Leroy. "Good now listen closely. According to Mary-Margaret you only need to scrutinize the lake side of the highway. If someone has been using the trail there should be some sort of indication." She glances at Ruby and Mary-Margaret, "On second thought come to the Sheriff's office. Since Mary-Margaret appears to be the only one that knows the location of these trails, she and Ruby can help you look." Her eyes turn even darker as she snarls, "I don't care what you think. You will do what I say." A crack is heard from the phone when Regina ends the call with a vicious jab from her thumb.

Ruby mutters under her breath that only Mary-Margaret can hear, "And she's back."

Refusing to acknowledge she has heard Ruby's comment, Regina simply tilts her head to one side, her Mayoral Mask once again firmly entrenched, which has the two women looking everywhere but at the Mayor. They quickly gather up any personal items they may need for their unexpected trip. A firm, "Don't forget your phones." has both women holding up their respective phones. As they reach the door, it opens and Henry enters the room.

A quick, "Hi Henry, bye Henry," is tossed at the young boy as they hurried exit the room.

Henry turns to his mom, "Where are they going in such a hurry?"

Regina's eyes flash in anger before softening to answer her son's question. "Seems Mary-Margaret failed to inform us of a number of hidden trails that end up at the lake. They're going with Leroy to see if they can find them and hopefully where Ms. Swan is or has been."

He walks over to the map studying the colored areas that signified an area has been searched as well as the pieces of paper that show who is searching where. "Mom?" He peers over his shoulder when there is no answer from his mother only to find her unknowingly coping Emma's exact stance and position of staring out the window. He walks over to his mother, who jumps when he lays his hand on her arm. "Mom?"

Regina has to blink a few times before she turns to Henry. "Yes Henry."

"You and Emma are always fighting and I know you want her to leave town. That you don't want her around me. If she really is leaving, why are you trying to stop her?"

Regina sits on a chair and pulls Henry closer to him. She runs her fingers through his tousled hair and lightly kisses his forehead. She studies her son, knowing that she has to be careful and as sincere as possible in how she explains why she is looking so hard for the wayward Sheriff. She dampens the true depths of her own emotions toward Emma, knowing, and her past is all the proof she needs, that these types of emotions bring nothing but pain and heartache.

She lets herself relax, "I don't want you to be hurt. If she wants to leave then I want her to tell you why, not just disappear like she has in her past. I don't want you to have to wonder if it was something you had done that made her leave."

Henry's eyes, that remind Regina of his birth mother, scrunch in thought. "What if she just wanted some time alone?"

Regina studies Henry, who suddenly refuses to look her in the eyes. "Henry, do you know something?" He shrugs his shoulders and tries to turn away but his mother's grip doesn't let him move. "Henry, answer my question."

His eyes remain downcast. "Mom, you know how I like to go to my castle to think and to be alone."

"Yes."

He glances at his mother, pleading for her to understand what Emma needs. "What if Emma needs the same thing?"

"Henry, have you seen Emma?" She feels Henry tense under her fingers before he softly answers, "Yes."

"Do you know where she is?" She gently cups his chin and pulls until he is looking into her eyes. "Henry, do you know where she is?"

"Yes, but."

"But what?"

He drops his eyes suddenly interested in a spot on the desk. "She wanted two more hours and then she promised she come to the Sheriff's office."

Anger and hurt threatens to creep into her voice at the predicament that Emma has forced onto her son. She forces it down before responding, "I see. Why didn't you tell me you had seen her?"

Still refusing to meet his mother's eyes he speaks rapidly, "She made me promise only to tell if I was asked directly if I had seen her and since you hadn't asked directly I didn't…" He stops and finally looks at his mom, "I'm sorry mom. I should have told you."

Regina tugs Henry forward wrapping both arms around him tightly. "I'm not mad at you. Ms. Swan, however, is an entirely different matter." She stands, her hands on Henry's shoulders. "Now I want you to show me where she is."

Leroy, Ruby and Mary-Margaret are scanning the roadside trying to find evidence of where Emma had turned off the highway or in Mary-Margaret cases hoping to spot one of the hidden trails. She suddenly yells, "There." that has Leroy stopping the truck. All three climb out and walk along side of the road until Ruby finds a faint motorcycle track.

"Can't say it was Emma, but at least it's something."

Mary-Margaret turns to Leroy, "Mark this spot. Ruby and I'll start walking the trail. Hopefully Emma is somewhere on it. You keep searching the road."

"You gonna call the Mayor and let her know we found something?"

A loud, "NO!," has Mary-Margaret looking aghast at the vehemence of her response. "I mean.. I will just not right now."

Leroy nods and leaves in the truck.

Ruby and Mary-Margaret look at each other and silently agree that neither one wanted to call the Mayor if they had nothing to report other than finding one of the forgotten trails. They begin following the trail, seeing more and more signs that something or someone had been in this area but not sure how recently.

The last thing that is heard before they disappear down the overgrown trail is Ruby asking, "Mary-Margaret, do you believe in the possibility that magic truly exists?"

Mr. Gold stands in his workshop contemplating everything the woman had said to him and more importantly, how did she know so much. His fingers tap against the handle of his cane before he limps to one of the walls and pushes on a brick. A click is heard and a portion of the wall slides backwards creating an opening just wide enough for Mr. Gold to step through. As he disappears into the darkness, the wall returns to its former position with a soft click.

A light flickers on revealing a room that any alchemist or wannabe potion makers would have sold their souls to in. Along one wall was a collection of books, that are of many different types of material, and that are in many languages. Along another wall is an extensive collection of bottles that contain both liquid and solid matter. He walks over to another wall where the bottles that rest on the shelves match the bottles in the box that the woman was commenting on. On the table in front of these shelves is an odd looking device that has an opening at each end. A clear tube runs from one opening to a device, that has a large handle on it and looks like a manual vacuum pump. Another clear tube comes out of the device and loosely rests inside the other opening.

He takes a small glass container off the shelf, lifts the loose tube and inserts it into a hole in the lid of the glass container and then places it in the opening. He picks up a candle, lights it and lets the melting wax seal where the tube enters the lid. Satisfied that the container is airtight, he blows out the candle. Moving to the other opening, he lifts up his cane and unscrews the elaborate handle. He quickly lifts the cane and places the shaft it into the opening. He begins pumping the handle until a soft hissing comes from the cane, which brings a sinister smile to his features. He watches, as with every pump, a multicolored mist inches itself along the tube until it begins to fill the glass container.

When the last of the mist enters the glass container, he quickly removes the tube and places a stopper in the glass lid. He lifts the glass, studying the shifting mist. "Finally all of my walks around this town are beginning to pay off." His fingers caress the jar, before he sets it on one of the shelves.

He removes the shaft of his cane from the other opening and reattaches the handle. His laughter, if anyone had been present, would have sent shivers of trepidation down their spine. Still laughing he exits the room as the newly collected mist continues to move within the glass container.

Henry grabs his mother's arm before she can knock on the door of the garage. "Mom, before you go in there, promise me you'll listen to what Emma has to say."

He tries not to react when his mother rolls her eyes, and she would not be happy if he pointed out that she was copying some of Emma's mannerisms, before she grumbles, "Henry?"

"No mom, promise me."

She shakes her head but Henry refuses to budge from his pleading look. She lets out a huff and nods her head in agreement. "But I want you to go home." She holds up her hand to stop any of his arguments for staying with her. "I promise to listen to her, but you have to go home."

"Okay."

Her eyes narrow when he agrees so fast. "That means right now."

He slowly turns and begins to walk away but looks back when he hears his mother, "And Henry, that doesn't mean you can go home and then come back here. You go home and stay home. Understood?"

"Yes." He resumes walking down the alley, dejected that his mother had figured out his plan for returning. Suddenly a smile appears on his face as he realizes that he couldn't come back but that didn't mean he couldn't send someone to listen to what was being said in the garage. He bolts down the alley to find the person he needs to help him with his plan. He knows he has time because after all these are his moms and everyone knows their discussions are never short and are rarely very quiet. Sometimes he wonders if they actually enjoy their confrontations.

Regina watches Henry disappear around the corner of the alley before she turns back to the garage door. Her hand begins to close around the knob when she hesitates and then retracts her hand as if it was on fire. She looks at her hand, puzzled at why she seems unable to grab something as simple as a door knob. Her eyebrows scrunch as she whispers angrily to herself, "You are Regina Mills, the Mayor of Storybrooke. Since when are you afraid of anything?" Her conscience, that has rarely ever had the chance to talk to her, takes this opportunity to voice itself. **"Since Emma came to town and became a threat, not only to the curse but to the iron grip you maintain on those emotions you refuse to acknowledge that you have."**

Ignoring her conscience, she squares her shoulders, takes a deep breath and smiles as she feels the power that being the Mayor sends coursing through her. There is no uncertainty in her actions, this time, when she grips the doorknob and opens the door to find Emma near the door. She strides forward through the doorway, without any hesitation in her steps, forcing Emma to backtrack into the garage. The tone of her voice is strong and in control and demands, as well as expects immediate attention, "Ms. Swan, we need to talk." The door closes before Emma can even muster a response.

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

A/N Italicized text represents a flashback scene. Still only borrowing the characters except for Ana and her daughter. And yes the daughter will reveal her name.  
All mistakes are mine.

Chapter 7

Henry runs down the street hoping that Archie is in his office and not out searching for Emma. He sighs with relief when he spots him walking Pongo. "Archie, wait up."

Archie turns, waiting for Henry to catch up to him. "Henry, any news of Emma?"

Henry gasps for air as he stops next to Pongo, who happily licks his face. "Pongo stop." Archie pulls Pongo away from Henry allowing the young man time to catch his wind.

A wheezy, "She's back. But I need your help Archie."

"Catch your breath and then we can talk." Archie is startled when Henry grabs his arm and begins to pull him down the street. "No time. My mom is talking with her and I need you to listen to what they're saying."

A reluctant Archie allows himself to be pulled for a few more steps as he tries to comprehend Henry's comments. Finally he stops, pulling his hand free from Henry's grasp. An exasperated Henry grasps at Archie's arm but is stopped when Archie kneels on the ground in front of him. "Henry, I'm not going anywhere until you explain what's going on."

Realizing that Archie is going to come with him, Henry begins talking. "Emma came back but for some reason she thinks she's only been gone for a few hours not for two days. She made me promise not to tell anyone unless I was asked directly."

Archie lays his hand on Henry's shoulder. "And did you tell anyone?"

"Not until mom asked me if I had seen Emma. But I should have told mom sooner."

"Why?"

"What if Emma had been hurt?"

"And was she hurt?"

"I didn't see anything, but still I should have said something."

Archie tightens his grip on Henry as the boy tries to squirm away. "Henry, you did what you thought was right. And you kept your promise to Emma."

"But everyone has been looking for her. And now my mom is talking to her. You need to listen to what they're saying."

Archie grasps Henry's shoulders. "It's not right to eavesdrop on a private conversation."

"I know, but this is between Emma and my mom and when have their discussions ever been quiet."

Archie laughs at Henry's apt description of Regina's and Emma's frequent discussions. "Why is it so important to hear what Emma and your mother are talking about? Henry refuses to meet Archie's eyes. "Does this have something to do with your book?"

Henry grins at the opening he needs to convince Archie to listen to his mother's conversation, "We won't know unless we know what they're talking about."

Archie looks around before returning his gaze to Henry. "The real reason you want me to listen is because your mom sent you home."

"Well yes, but..."

"I don't like this. But show me where they are."

A smile appears on Henry's face as he grabs Archie's hand and starts to drag him down the street. "You're going to have to take Pongo otherwise they will know someone is listening."

"Not a problem."

Archie shakes his head knowing that somehow he will end up facing the wrath of Mayor Mills and or the Sheriff. But facing that wrath may be worth it if he gains insight to the very interesting dynamic that is both antagonistic and sometimes sympathetic, though that was rare, that these two women have created between them in a very short amount of time. Granted they were both concerned about Henry's welfare and that was understandable. One was the birth mother that had to have agonized over giving up her child for adoption, while the other was the adoptive mother that was never expecting to have to face the birth mother of her child, the child that she had raised for ten years.

He had dealt with Regina enough to see the subtle changes that were occurring within her since Emma's arrival in town. While Regina exuded a tough, no holds barred attitude, he would catch a flicker in her eyes and an ever slight softening of her Mayoral mask. He watched how she interacted with Henry and knew in her own way she loved her son but remained guarded in letting go and loving him unconditionally. It was almost as if she seemed to feel that she wasn't worthy of giving nor receiving that kind of unconditional love. Lately he was observing the same softening of the Mayoral mask whenever Regina looked at Emma.

Their heated and often passionate disagreements were becoming legendary in Storybrooke. Mainly because Emma was the first person that wasn't afraid to take Regina to task for many of her decisions. Thinking back on when he first saw a shift in Regina's attitude, toward Emma, was the night of the Sheriff's debate. He had happened to glance at Regina when Mr. Gold's plot was revealed, but like everyone else in the room, he was in a state of shock at Emma's revelation, that he failed to comprehend what he had seen. Thinking about it now, and adding in everything else that had happened since, he realized that what he had seen was the expected surprise and grudgingly a glimmer of respect at Emma's actions but also a flash of longing that seemed to softened, just for a brief moment, the emotional detachment that Regina's eyes always seemed to be conveying to those around her. And if what everyone was saying about Regina's concern over Emma's whereabouts these past two days, that detachment was close to shattering. And what was about to burst forth, well that was going to be very interesting for Regina, Emma and the citizens of Storybrooke.

Henry stops in the entrance to the alley. "You shouldn't have any problem finding them."

Archie hands Henry Pongo's leash. "You need to go home."

"But."

"Henry, either you go home or I leave."

"Fine." Henry turns to leave pulling Pongo along with him. Archie shakes his head in surprise that Henry hadn't simply disobeyed his mother and listened at the door. "This could be very interesting indeed." He chuckles watching the antics of his dog and Henry and not really sure who is leading whom. He turns and walks down the alley.

Emma turns her back to Regina. The sound of the zipper being lowered reverberates in the room. She shrugs out of her jacket, tossing it to one side, but refuses to turn and confront the glare that she can feel on every inch of her skin, a glare that has her feeling as if her skin was burning from the intensity.

Regina's concern over the past two days is warring with her barely contained anger at the Sheriff's abrupt disappearance, reappearance and seemingly indifference to the situation she has created. A much harsher than intended, "Care to explain exactly where you have been Sheriff?" Her anger has her aiming for Emma's biggest weakness and true to form she hits a bulls eye when she harshly asks, "Do you have any idea how concerned Henry was?" She smiles at the twitch that Emma fails to hide at the reference to Henry but still she verbally refuses to respond. "And he wasn't the only one concerned. There were also…"

Emma spins around and the unexpected snarl of, "Also who Madame Mayor? You?" has Regina taking a small step backwards. She starts to speak but stops as Emma continues. "Truthfully I'm surprised you even let the search begin in the first place. You could have gotten rid of the thorn in your Mayoral side."

Emma opens her mouth to talk, but snaps it shut at the barely controlled anger that has Regina trembling in rage. She thought she had seen the Mayor angry when she had taken the chainsaw to the Mayor's apple tree, but what was standing in front of her now was something far worse and far scarier. And if she believed in Henry's book and the curse then she would have thought that this was not Regina she was facing but the Evil Queen in all her glory. She glances at the Mayor's hands almost expecting to see sparks from the dark magic, that is if she truly believed Regina was the Evil Queen. Her eyes snap upward when she senses movement.

Regina steps forward until she is less than a foot from Emma. The combination of her feral gaze and her anger are buffeting Emma from every direction with their intensity.

Emma's eyes widen in confusion when she finds that she can't move from the impending storm that is about to be unleashed upon her. "Your friends, that you seem to have such a callous disregard for, have all spent the last two days searching for you." Regina holds up one finger to stop Emma from talking. "No, you will listen to what I have to say Miss Swan."

"They came to me to ask what they could do to help find you. They have spent every moment searching and never gave up hope that we would find you. Everyone's biggest fear was that you were lying injured and were unable to call for help since you managed to leave your cell phone behind. You may not care about anyone but yourself, but the people of Storybrooke do care about you." Regina leans closer until Emma can feel every word on her flushed face. "But what angers me the most is the pain you inflicted on Henry by your little self pity party. An angst filled, "But.." is quickly bitten off by Regina's biting and unforgiving, "I'm not finished talking Miss Swan." Emma swallows heavily and closes her mouth.

The closer to the garage Archie got, the louder the voices became. The sudden silence has him hurrying the remaining distance to the door. He leans on the door frame being careful to not reveal his presence to the two women inside. He knows he shouldn't be listening, even though he promised Henry he would, but the chance to gain further insight to the adversarial relationship that exists between Regina and Emma was too good of a chance to pass up.

Regina's barely controlled anger is evident by her flushed face, the quirking of her lips, her nostrils flaring and the fact that each breath she takes is like a puff of heated air that singes everything it touches. Like a moth to a flame Emma finds herself leaning closer to the seething woman in front of her. Later she will ask herself why but for now she feels compelled to be closer to the flame that is tearing her asunder.

Regina's voice drops even lower and each word she utters is dripping with malice as she continues her angry rant. "Do you have any idea what it was like to see his shoulders droop every time he asked if you had shown up and I had to tell him no? That the hope that was shining in his face dimmed each time I had to tell him that there wasn't any news of you. You were breaking his heart and did you care? No, Miss Swan you didn't. Instead you were wallowing, goodness knows where, in a self pity party because the citizens of this town dared to care about you. That they dared to let you into their lives and try make you feel at home. Which I seem to recall that that was something you said you had never felt before. The citizens that, against my wishes, elected you as Sheriff. And how do you repay them? You disappear for two days." She holds up two fingers in front of Emma, that are shaking with her anger. "Two full days Miss Swan. And then when you do decide to return, you dare to ask my son not to tell anyone that he had seen you."

Emma's head jerks backward, "Henry told you?"

Regina's harsh laugh reverberates through the room. "Why am I not surprised out of everything I just said, your only concern is about Henry telling me he had seen you. That just proves my point that you care about nothing but yourself."

The fire in Emma feeds off Regina's intensity and flares as she snarls, "You think you know me Madame Mayor. You know nothing. If I only cared about myself then why, when I came to the town limits, did I turn around?" When Regina fails to respond, not that Emma really gives her much of a chance, she snaps out, "Can't answer that can you?" Emma steps closer, forcing Regina to take a step back. "Don't you dare lecture me, Madame Mayor, about how much I care about Henry. I would never intentionally hurt him."

Regina's eyes narrow at the implication. "And you think I would?"

"Haven't you?"

Much to Emma's surprise, Regina begins laughing. "I see that you have learned, from your many travels, the art of deflection. But you see my dear this isn't about me, this is about you and your lack of concern about anything or anyone other than yourself."

Regina turns and walks toward the door. Just as she opens the door, she glances backward, the disgust evident in her voice, "Don't worry Miss Swan, I'll make sure that everyone knows that their Sheriff has finally taken it upon herself to grace us all with her presence."

Archie glances around in fear trying to find a place to hide when the door begins to open. He sighs knowing that he doesn't have the time to leave before he is seen by whomever is about to exit the garage. Much to his surprise the door, that was partially opened, is slammed shut by something crashing against it. Taking a deep breath, he returns to listening at the door.

Before she even realizes that she is moving, Emma slams her hand on the door, forcing it to abruptly shut and cutting off Regina's exit. She grabs Regina's hand, that is on the knob, pulling and forcing her to spin around. She continues her forward movement, grasping Regina's other hand, that has found purchase on Emma's shoulder and is desperately trying to push her away, pinning both of Regina's hands against the door.

Regina tilts her head up, her spine tensing. The fierce look on her face, that would have made even Genghis Khan hesitate, has a reaction that on one hand was unexpected but also welcomed. Emma steps closer, forcing Regina further against the door until Emma can feel the movement of every single angry breath from the irate woman against her own body.

A venomous snarl of, "Unhand Miss Swan," only has the blonde leaning, if it was possible, even closer.

"No. You will listen to what I have to say."

Regina snorts in amusement, "And if I don't care to listen to any of your feeble excuses?"

Emma glances at their current position and chuckles. "Then by all means Madame Mayor, leave."

Regina attempts to break free by twisting and turning her body. But all she succeeds in doing is creating friction everywhere the two women's bodies come in contact. She even fails to lessen the woman's grip on her wrists. With a deep sigh, she relaxes against the door. And a resigned, "It seems I have no choice but to listen to your pathetic excuse," can be heard in the silence of the garage.

Studying the, still seething but, now quiet woman Emma takes a deep breath and suddenly realizes how close the two of them are. Her breath hitches with every movement of Regina's body, that is still heaving from the exertions of trying to free herself, against her own. Suddenly desperate to lessen the physical contact, she relaxes her grip and starts to take a step back.

Regina smiles to herself when she feels not only the pressure on her wrists relax but also the weight pinning her to the door ease. For one of the few times in her life Regina reacts to a situation rather than taking the time to analyze it and then formulate a plan that would ensure her victory. She uses the slight freedom to surge forward, crashing her lips into Emma's.

Ana stands by the edge of the lake listening to the soothing waves as they gently glide across the rocks that litter the shore. So lost in in thought she fails to see the faint glow that is emanating from the hidden opening of the cave. She lifts her head sighing in frustration over Emma's stubborn refusal to not simply accept and to not question what she is being told. "But why should I be surprised. She reacted the same way the first time we meant."

_The blonde haired, green eyed five year old girl stood in the pouring rain, her clothes torn and covered in mud and blood. She stares into a ditch where the headlights of a car are fading and are barely visible from the road. Only the churned up dirt provides the evidence of the car accident. But the rain was rapidly washing it away._

_The sound of footsteps squishing in the mud has the young Emma Swan looking up into the eyes of Ana. She tilts her head to one side wondering why the woman that is standing before her is dry when it's raining so hard. Those green eyes give Ana pause. With everything this young girl has gone through she stills exudes confidence. She squats to put herself eye level with Emma. "Hello Emma."_

_Green eyes narrow in thought as a tentative hand reaches out to touch Ana's dry arm, "How come you're dry when it's raining?"_

_For the first time in a very long time Ana laughs deeply, "Oh my darling girl. You are going to be such a thorn in someones Mayoral side."_

_The spunkiness that will serve Emma well in the years to come is evident when she pokes Ana in the shoulder and lifts her little chin in steely determination. "Answer my question?"_

_If any of the other beings that knew who Ana was, saw what was happening, they would never have believed that a five year old girl was winning a stubbornness competition with the mother of the fates. "All right, but only if you answer my question?" Ana holds out her hand. "Do we have a deal?"_

_Emma continues to study Ana before reaching out and shaking her hand. "Deal."_

_"Tell me Emma, do you believe in magic?"_

_"What's magic?"_

_"This." With a flick of her wrist, the pouring rain recedes until Emma and Ana are standing in a dry, but still muddy, circle surrounded by the rain._

_Emma glances at the headlights in the ditch and then back to Ana, her eyes piercing. "Can you use magic to save my family?"_

_"No."_

_A confused, "Why not?" has Ana wishing for the first time in a very long time that she could tell this child why she was going to have to experience so much pain in her life and that in the end, hopefully, it would be worth it. She had only felt this way once before and her heart ached for the young girl that had had her innocence stolen, her soul darkened by those who manipulated her for their own wretched desires and yet within that darkened soul there was still hope. And that hope rested with this determined little girl that stood before her. She couldn't tell that little girl then just as she can't tell Emma now._

_"Not everyone is destined to be saved."_

_The rain is pierced by approaching headlights. Ana extends her hand and lays it gently over Emma's heart. "You may not understand right now but I want you to remember my dear Emma, that magic comes from within and when you find your one true love the magic that the two of you will create will be the strongest and purest form of magic there is. It will vanquish and then heal even the darkest of souls."_

_Emma looks at the car in the ditch and then back to Ana with tears in her eyes. "How can magic be good if it can't save my family?"_

_Ana wipes away the tears. "In time you will learn why? But I want you to promise me something Emma." _

_Without any hesitation, Emma nods in agreement. "Okay. What?"_

_Ana leans closer to Emma, "Promise me no matter what happens, to you or those you care about, that you will never lose that stubborn determination. It will keep you and the ones you love protected."_

_Ana disappears as the headlights of the approaching car highlights Emma, standing alone in the pouring rain. A softly whispered, "I promise," is muffled by the rain._

A flicker on the water has Ana turning towards the cave and a smile breaks out when she sees the red glow. "Finally" In just a few strides, though anyone watching would have wondered how she moved without appearing to touch the ground, she enters the cave.

Henry is walking along the street leading Pongo, who suddenly begins barking and surges forward ripping the leash out of Henry's hand. "Pongo, come back here." He races after the barking dog, who is heading into the park.

Following the barking, Henry comes around a bush to find a woman sitting on a bench with the growling dog standing before her. He rushes forward, grabbing the leash and tries to pull Pongo away. "Pongo quiet." Much to his surprise, the dog quits barking and sits next to him but the quivering dog's body lets the woman know he's ready to pounce at a moments notice.

"Sorry about that. Pongo's usually very friendly." Henry studies the woman. "You're not from around here."

"No, just passing through. Why do you ask?"

Something about the woman and Pongo's tense body has Henry hesitating before answering carefully. "Not a lot of people come here to visit. Who did you come to visit?"

A flicker of something in the woman's face has Henry's hand tightening on Pongo's leash. "See I'm a collector and a friend of mine told me about Mr. Gold's pawn shop and the amazing, one of a kind items that he has. And well I wanted to see for myself."

Pongo growls when the woman's hand starts to reach into her pocket. She pauses and then slowly removes the shears from her pocket. "I collect exotic shears and if they have very interesting stories in connection with them, that makes them even more priceless to me."

Henry looks at the shears in her hands and then at her. "And what story did Mr. Gold tell you about this pair of shears."

The woman starts to answer when she closes her eyes as if in intense pain. Her fingers, that are clutching the shears are turning white from the pressure. She dips her head gasping for air as her other hand clenches tightly to her knee.

Henry starts forward but to his amazement, Pongo stands using his body to block Henry from moving forward. Even more amazing Pongo pushes against Henry forcing him to take steps further away from the gasping woman on the park bench.

Slowly the woman relaxes the death grip of her hands and takes a deep breath before looking at Henry.

"Are you okay?"

A very hoarse, "Yes," is heard before she stands and begins to walk away. She pauses when she hears Henry ask, "What's your name?" and smiles because for the first time someone is actually asking her her name. "My name, Henry, is Aisa." She turns and resumes walking away, the shears clicking open and then close in time with her steps."

Henry tries to follow but once again Pongo stops him. He looks at Aisa walking away and then to Pongo. "How did she know my name?"

Archie listens intently, but the once loud voices, that were easily heard through the door, have dropped into silence. He leans closer and to his utter shock, the extra pressure on the door forces the lock to release and the door swings open. He falls into the interior of the garage landing on his hands and knees. The first thing he sees are two pairs of intertwined legs. Then he lifts his head to find a sight that many in Storybrooke would have believed impossible, that of the rigid, and some would say frigid, Mayor and her chief adversary locked in a heated kiss. A kiss so intense that even from his position on the floor, Archie can feel the heat that is being generated.

Lost in the vision before him it takes a few moments for him to realize that two sets of eyes, one set brown and one set green, both darkened with arousal, are now glaring at him. His mind goes blank and all he can do is raise one hand, and croak out a simple, "Hi."

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

A/N As usual anything italicized is a flashback.  
Just borrowing the characters except for Ana and Aisa.  
All mistakes are mine.

Chapter 8

Ana rushes into the cave and pauses at the sight of the room being filled with an ever deepening red glow. She simply smiles and closes her eyes as the glow encompasses her and the entire room. A softly whispered, "This is more than I ever expected. More than anyone ever expected." Her eyes still closed, she steps further into the room and extends her arms outward. The pulsating ebb and flow continues to swirl around her and to deepen in color.

Her eyes open as she steps over to and pulls forward Emma's red thread, from the moment she was born, letting her finger trace along its surface. She can feel the throbbing in the thread that is strong with life. As she continues to follow the thread, it begins to lighten in color until it is a light red. Where the color changes is another thread that branches off to a node.

Touching the node, it enlarges and allows Ana to watch the scene where the three year old Emma is returned to the foster care system by the first of many foster parents. The node disappears as she resumes tracing the thread that is once again darkening in color and then lightens again.

Rather than touching the node, Ana smiles at the memory of the first time she meant Emma in the pouring rain. The stubborn determination in that five year olds body made her ache with the knowledge of what Emma was yet to endure. Shaking her head to dismiss the melancholy thoughts, she resumes tracing the thread. Each time the thread darkens, becomes knotted, thins to the point of breaking and then lightens, represents a time where Emma had been with a foster family and then had been given up.

Finally she comes to a spot on the thread where the thread darkens, knots upon itself, lightens and then the knot unravels as it once again turns red. But this time the red never lightens nor does it thin to the point of breaking as it has before. For this is when Emma discovered she was pregnant and the knot in this part of the thread is tighter and larger.

Then instead of the gradual change in color, this one is abrupt from dark red to a very light red. And for once the thread is so thin that the lightest of touches would have broken it and ended Emma's life.

She touches the thread that branches off from this change in color and what she observes would have made anyone's heart break. _Emma lies in a prison hospital bed after having given birth to her son. She watches as the nurse lays the squirming bundle in Emma's arms and the exhausted woman lovingly kisses her son's head and whispers something to him that not even the nurse can hear but Ana can._

_"Know that I will always love you and only want what's best for you and that at the moment is not me."_

_Ana watches the tears streaming down Emma's cheeks as the nurse removes the baby boy from her arms leaving a devastated young woman in her wake as the baby is whisked out of the room and out if her life forever._

Surprisingly, Ana wipes tears from her own eyes before she continues to follow the thread through the ups and down of Emma's life. But the color that remains is a very light red and the knots that occur at each relationship are large and extremely loose.

When Henry re-enters her life, the red begins to change and the slow progress as the red further intensifies is so subtle that, other than Ana and her daughters, the mind would have had problems deciphering when the change began, only that at some point it had changed.

Emma life thread is wrapped around the node where Henry re-entered her life but wrapped even tighter around the same node is another much darker life thread that reflected Regina's heart, black and dark. So dark in color, it is like a black hole that instantaneously absorbs everything around it.

Regina's thread was reacting in a way that Ana had rarely seen for it had shifted in its direction and now began to run parallel to Emma's thread. Usually the red thread meant that two people are destined to meet one another and help each other when certain situations arise. And when the two people meet, their threads remained separate and distinctive.

Yet this situation was vastly different for these two women were separated not only by distance but also time. Their respective threads tangled and twisted and turned, and formed knots with every relationship, among the many threads they came in contact with, but the most challenging was the amount of time the threads were forced to endure before finding each other. They stretched unlike anything seen before, and Ana had seen everything, but their respective threads never broke ensuring that the two women would meet.

Ana studied the two threads she held in her hand. It was easy to follow their path as they intertwined around each other, for not only were their colors so different, but also the feelings they generated were polar opposites. Regina's dark one secreted anger, a need for revenge, utter hatred and a hurt that was so agonizing in its potency, that a person with a weak heart would have already succumbed. The darkness that swirled around Regina's ravaged heart, offered an end to all of the pain that she was enduring, if the heart would simply give into the darkness.

Yet Regina's battered soul fought until the darkness was too powerful and to save itself, as well as what remained of her heart, so it allowed itself to be shattered into fragments. But these fragments were not ready to concede complete defeat to the darkness and managed to hide themselves in the one place the darkness would not expect, the void where the decimated soul once resided. And from these hidden spots, the soul fragments waged a war designed to protect a portion Regina's heart so there would always be a chance of healing this so badly fractured, darkened heart. These fragments simply had to survive and survive they did.

The fragments rejoiced when Henry entered Regina's life because in this one action, as simple as it appeared to be, created a breach into the darkness that surrounded Regina's darkened heart. It appeared as a thin line of color, though small, it was there. This line of color gradually grew bigger the longer Henry was in her life.

The red in Emma's thread had intensified in color when Henry re-entered her life to the point it was slightly darker than when she had given birth to the little boy. But once the dark thread began mirroring the creation of every knot, twist and turn, the red was deepening in color. The feelings it put forth were of determination, stubbornness and most importantly its capacity to forgive, to give hope and to not only let love in but to love in return.

Each knot on Emma's thread had a smaller thread that branched out and connected it to the mirror of itself on Regina's thread. Some of the threads were so minuscule that their mere existence appeared to be threatened by something as gentle as a soft puff of air. Others were thicker. The connection of these threads to the larger threads allowed the black to seep into the red. With every successive knot the red gradually began to push back on the black until only a very thin line of black kept the red from entering Regina's black life thread.

Ana held both threads in her hand and could feel the life that was pulsating in both of them. Regina's dark thread was fighting desperately to forestall the menacing invasion of the red, but it was quickly losing ground. The red had breached the thin barrier and was entering Regina's dark life thread until the breach abruptly closes before Ana's disbelieving eyes, but more amazing was that a pocket of Emma's life thread remained inside Regina's.

"What happened?" Ana touches the point of the breach and a node appears displaying Regina and Emma crushed together against the door. In the need to discover what caused the breach to close so unexpectedly, she watches what happens.

_Regina smiles to herself when she feels not only the pressure on her wrists relax but also the weight pinning her to the door ease. For one of the few times in her life Regina reacts to a situation rather than taking the time to analyze it and then formulate a plan that would ensure her victory. She uses the slight freedom to surge forward, crashing her lips into Emma's._

_Surprised at the feel of Regina's soft but demanding lips against hers, Emma deepens the kiss, hearing a moan of frustration and not sure whether it's her or Regina has Emma suddenly pulling her head back breaking the kiss. In that moment, she studies the slightly parted, damp lips that are just begging to be kissed again and subconsciously wets her own lips. Her eyes reluctantly look away from those enticing lips, up over a flushed face to find those brown eyes have darkened to a molten chocolate color unlike anything she has seen before. Those eyes that before had only shown contempt and amusement at Emma's many failed attempts at challenging the Mayor authority, as well as distrust, now showed desire and need. There was also something else that Emma could see warring in Regina's eyes, anger and a fear of being rejected. And this heady combination was making Regina tremble in Emma's arms. But the spark of desire was winning and as it flared when their eyes meant, it drew Emma in like a moth to a flame and she willingly flew towards the heat that was freely being offered._

_And even though it felt like a lifetime for Emma to make these observations, in reality it took less than a breath of air before Emma surged forward capturing Regina's lips in a heated frenzy of need. Her hands release their grip on Regina's wrists with one hand quickly sliding up her back and tangling itself in the soft hair that she had always wanted to feel gliding over her fingers. The other hand slides around Regina and with a quick tug, pulls them both away from the door. Each woman's moan is swallowed by the other as their heaving bodies slammed into each other creating sparks everywhere they touched._

_Regina growls in frustration for a number of reasons. She wants to comb her fingers through those blond curls, moaning at the thought of that silky texture caressing the heated skin of her fingers but is frustrated by Emma's ponytail. She wants to feel Emma's flushed body against her equally aroused body without any barriers separating them. But mostly she wants to continue to feel the blazing inferno of need that this infuriating woman has ignited within her, a desire that she had long believed she was incapable of ever feeling again._

_Regina barely hesitates before she is responding to the feel of Emma's lips on hers. The soft moan that erupts from her is primal in nature and has Emma responding in kind. Hands clutch trying to pull their bodies even closer as hips begin to grind against each other with neither woman breaking their passionate kissing except to breath. Even then only a quick gasp of air is followed by groans as their lips are deprived of the others contact. Moans of pleasure fill the air when their lips resume their exploration of each other._

_So lost in their kissing and their bodies sliding against each other in an attempt to get even closer, neither Regina nor Emma hear the lock on the door release and open. Only with the sound of hands and knees slapping onto the floor do they break the kiss and turn to find Archie staring at them with a look of amazement. Still lost in the sudden explosion of feelings, neither can find the words needed to answer, so they simply glare at him._

If Archie thought Regina and Emma were angry with his unplanned intrusion then the anger that was roiling off of Ana would have had him turning to ash. "Of all the incompetent…." She stops her rant, tilts her head to one side as she continues to still observe the scene in the garage. "Perhaps this was for the best."

Regina is the first to regain her senses and moves to take a step away from Emma, which draws a confused look from the blonde. She puts a hand to her disarrayed hair and quickly puts it into some semblance of order before throwing her shoulders back and turning to glare at the man still sprawled on the floor. Archie should have felt thankful that Regina had no magical powers otherwise he would have been nothing more than a scorched mark on the floor of the garage. And in her most Mayoral voice designed to make even the most stalwart of people tremble in fear, "Would you care to explain Dr. Hopper, exactly what you were doing outside that door?"

Sheepishly Archie peeks at Emma and swallows heavily at the equally angry but also shocking look on her face, but he's not sure which emotion is directed at him and which one is for Regina. "Um… I….I was walking by and heard arguing. And when I touched the door it just," he shrugs his shoulders, "opened."

Regina steps closer, her anger barely held in check at both the untimely and timely interruption by Archie. Her mind is warring with her body and with difficulty her mind forces the flood of emotions that kissing Emma had released and locks them behind her carefully crafted barriers that allowed little of those kind of emotions to escape.

Her growl of, "Do you really expect me to believe you just happened to be walking by when Miss Swan and I…."

"Were kissing."

Regina's head swivels so fast that it's a wonder she didn't get whiplash from Emma's comment. Her eyes narrow at the desire she still sees on Emma's face before turning back to Archie. "…Were discussing her disappearance and reappearance."

Not able to help himself, Archie chuckles. "Is that what they call it?"

At the snarl that erupts from Regina and her hands curling into fists has Emma quickly moving forward and placing herself between a furious Regina and the still cowering Archie. She grabs Regina's wrists and steps forward, forcing Regina's arms back behind her. With each struggle by Regina to free her hands only results in Emma tightening her grip until she is hugging the furious Mayor.

Annoyed that Emma is keeping her from Archie, she turns her scowl towards Emma, who simply does nothing but refuses to release Regina no matter how hard she glares at Emma. Not even a snarling growl of, "Miss Swan!" convinces Emma to release Regina from her arms. Though she is carefully to not let her amusement, at the present situation she finds herself in, to be seen by the seething woman in her arms.

Never breaking eye contact with the angry, yet beautiful woman in her arms, Emma quickly says, "Archie, leave now."

The sound of Archie getting to his feet and the door starting to close is barely heard by the two women who are staring at each other. A softly said, "I won't say anything," is heard right before the door closes leaving the two women alone in the heated and tense atmosphere that abounds inside the garage.

Emma releases Regina's hands, takes a step back and holds her hands out trying to placate the angry woman. She backs to the door, never breaking eye contact and makes sure the door is locked. Satisfied that no other unexpected visitors will be entering, she leans against the door, studying the still seething woman before her, who is looking everywhere but at Emma. Looking closer it's not only anger she sees but also what remains is a healthy dose of desire and surprisingly she can still see a flash of fear in Regina's eyes.

She buries the question of asking Regina about her fear and simply asks, "Happy or upset?"

Confused by the rash of emotions that are still erupting within her, her angry brown eyes meet Emma's surprisingly calm green eyes. "I'm not sure I know what you mean?"

Emma leans further into the door. "Are you happy or upset that Archie interrupted our," as she lifts her hands and uses her fingers to make air quotes, "Little discussion?"

Regina's snort of dismissal at Emma's question isn't unexpected nor is her attempt at changing the subject to the topic that Regina wants. "Miss Swan, the only discussion that I wish to have with you is where you have been for the last two days? Now would you care to explain?"

Emma has learned a few things from studying the mercurial woman that stands before. Not that she would ever admit, to anyone other than herself and even then only on rare occasions, that there was something about the mayor that intrigued her. Scratch that, it was the woman that was hiding behind the protection of the Mayor's facade that Emma was drawn to, the woman that cared deeply for Henry and yet seemed so fearful of losing him to the point that she was suffocating the boy with her controlling nature.

And yet Emma was drawn to this woman that refused to let anyone in behind her carefully constructed walls. Who, on occasion Emma would catch, but only because she was studying her, a glimpse of longing in those brown eyes, a longing to be asked and welcomed into a community activity not as the Mayor but simply as Regina, the mother of Henry.

A snide, "Miss Swan," has her setting aside those thoughts for another time.

And instead of pushing Regina about the kiss, knowing that at the moment that was not a topic open for discussion, she simply shrugs her shoulders and answers the question. "I was in a cave. Or at least I think I was."

Emma counts to herself, one, two, three and there it is, Regina's quirk of her lips and the slight rising of her right eyebrow that signifies her amusement at the absurdity of Emma's feeble attempt to explain where she has been. "Really Miss Swan. Is that the best excuse you could come up with?"

"It's the truth."

"I see. While you try and come up with a better reason for your absence, I need to go and call off the search. I'm sure everyone will be by the Sheriff's office at some point to welcome you ho…back." Rather than calling out Regina on her slip of the tongue, she remains leaning against the door, but at Regina's pointed look, she unlocks the door and steps away.

As Regina opens the door, Emma's question stops her. "What about you Regina?"

Questioning brown eyes, that first glance downward and then up taking in all of Emma before meeting Emma's eyes, "What about me?"

Emma steps closer until their bodies are almost touching. Her voice softens, "Are you elated or sad," and manages not to smile as Regina leans closer until Emma's voice caresses her face, "that I'm back?"

Regina trembles and swallows heavily from the question. She can't stop from reacting and once again Emma is given a glimpse of Regina's longing, the spark of desire mixed with fear before they are hidden behind the coolness of the Mayor's mask. "For Henry's sake, yes, I'm happy that you have managed to drag yourself back after your little vacation."

Regina grabs the door handle to exit the garage but hesitates slightly before resuming her movement and leaving. And if she had looked back, she would have seen what her slight hesitation had created, a smile so radiant that it lit up Emma's entire face.

Mary-Margaret and Ruby are following the old gravel trail towards the lake. In various places they can see where the gravel has been overturned revealing the dirty side. Ruby stops to pick up a broken twig. "Well somebody has been this way recently and they weren't walking."

Mary-Margaret looks around as if the trees and the birds could tell her if that person had been Emma. "Why would Emma come here?"

Ruby tosses the twig to one side. "Maybe she just wanted some alone time and how more alone can you get than here?" Mary-Margaret nods and the women resume walking.

"Mary-Margaret, do you believe in magic?"

Mary-Margaret glances at Ruby. "Of course not. Why would you ask that?"

Ruby shrugs her shoulders. "Just something Regina said has been bothering me."

"Everything Regina says bothers me."

"Why?"

A perplexed Mary-Margaret quietly answers, "I don't know. It just does."

"What if Henry's book is real?"

Mary-Margaret shakes her head in disbelief at her friends words. "Ruby, fairy tales are nothing more than stories that were made up to scare people and to try and explain the unexplainable. But why are you suddenly so interested in Henry's book and if I believe in magic?"

Ruby crosses her arms as if she was protecting herself from the cold but continues to walk. "Back in the Sheriff's office Regina said something odd."

Mary-Margaret wraps an arm around Ruby hugging close as they continue to walk. "What?"

"She said, we should all be thankful magic doesn't exist. Because I can't imagine her being able to control the power that comes with using magic."

"Okay. And why does that bother you?"

Unbeknownst to either woman, Ana has stepped out of the trees and is walking right behind them. Mary-Margaret's arm falls free as Ruby stops, tilting her head to one side as if she had heard something. She glances over her shoulder and if she had been able to see Ana, she would have been inches from her face. As it was, she saw nothing but gravel and the trees on either side of the trail.

Mary-Margaret grabs Ruby's arm. "Did you see something?"

Ruby shakes her head, "No, but I thought I heard and felt something?"

Nervously Mary-Margaret looks around. "What was it?"

Ruby continues to look around and listen but all she hears are the birds in the distance. She turns and looks back along the trail. "I don't know, but I think it's gone now."

The two women resume walking with Ana, sporting a huge smile, following them.

"Now where were we? Right Regina knowing about magic."

A thoughtful look crosses Ruby's face as she asks, "If magic doesn't exist then how would she know about how much power comes with using magic?"

"An educated guess."

Ruby looks at Mary-Margaret as if she had just moved to town and didn't know anyone by making that statement. "An educated guess? We're talking about Regina and Regina doesn't guess."

An exasperated, "Come on Ruby, do you really believe that that kind of magic exists? Because if you do then you also believe that Regina could be the Evil Queen in Henry's book," startles both women when it bursts forth from the usually more quiet Mary-Margaret.

Ruby hesitates and with a hint of fear in her voice quietly says, "I think both might be true."

Before a dumbfounded Mary-Margaret can answer, her cell phone rings. She looks at the phone and sighs with relief that it's only a text message from Regina and not a call. She quickly reads it and a smile appears on her face. "The search is over. Emma's back."

Ruby pumps one fist in the arm and hugs a surprised Mary-Margaret. "Did it say where she's been?"

Coughing from the intensity of Ruby's hug she huffs out, "No, Regina just said she's back."

The women turn around, both sporting smiles, and begin walking back down the trail towards the road. "Mary-Margaret where did you get Henry's book?"

Mary-Margaret glances at Ruby trying to understand why her friend just doesn't let the subject of magic go away. "I found it in a box of books that had been left outside my door."

"Do you know who left it?"

"No. There was a note that said I would know which book was the best for which student. And when I say the book I knew it was for Henry. Why?"

"It just seems odd that right after Henry gets the book, he goes in search of his birth mother and then brings her back to town. When was the last time that you ever remember anyone coming to town, much less staying? And I mean other than Emma."

"I don't know." Mary-Margaret nervously twitches her fingers before wrapping her arms around herself. "Now I want to read Henry's book."

A surprised Ruby grabs Mary-Margaret's arm and pulls her to a stop. "You haven't read it."

Mary-Margaret refuses to meet Ruby's eyes and answers, "Just the beginning and then I gave it to Henry. It didn't feel right when I started to read the book."

"I think we both need to read that book."

"And then?"

"I don't know."

Ana is still following the two women, in fact she was so close that she could place her arms on both of their shoulders and that was what she did. The laughter that erupts from Ana was deep and boisterous from Ruby and Mary-Margaret's reaction even though they couldn't hear it. They each reach up to pat the other one's arm that is around their shoulder only to find nothing.

Ruby looks at Mary-Margaret and then down to her hands that are no where close to resting on her friends shoulder. Mary-Margaret does the same before meeting Ruby's confused eyes.

"Um did you…."

"Yeah I did….

Both women look forward, then over each others shoulder and then in unison behind them. And as they turned to look back down the trail, Ana, who was standing directly in their line of sight if they could see her, whispers, "Believe."

A gentle breeze appear out of nowhere and wrapped itself around the two women. Each looked at the other, their eyes wide in shock and disbelief, for they each thought they had heard the word believe being being carried on the breeze.

The looks that manifested on Ruby and Mary-Margaret's features as they nervously continued to look around had Ana laughing harder. And just to play with them further, she whispers, "Magic."

Mary-Margaret and Ruby's eyes widen further as confusion, surprise and fear war on their features when another gentle breeze seems to be carrying the word magic to their ears. They look at each other, grab each others hand and begin running down the trail leaving Ana howling with laughter as she watches in amusement as they try to get away as fast as possible.

Regina stands in the Sheriff's office looking at but not seeing the map that represents the search for Emma. Her hand comes to rest where the cave would be if it was marked on the map. A sigh echoes in the quiet room as Regina contemplates everything that has happened in the last hour and how, if she allows it, these changes could effect her.

Regardless of how hard she tries to ignore what's happened, the ache in her chest refuses to go away. She lifts her right hand to stare at Daniel's ring before kissing it. The feelings she had felt for him were intense but they were nothing compared to the storm of emotions that Emma had begun the moment they first meant. She had buried this weakness, yes she dared not see it as anything but a weakness, under sarcasm, snide and biting comments all designed to drive her nemesis from her life, Henry's life and as far away from this town as possible.

And yet nothing seemed to work. Emma fought back with her own biting and snide comments. She refused to accept that what Regina wanted Regina got no matter what it cost. She stood her ground but was also able to admit that she was wrong. After all revealing Mr. Gold was behind setting fire to the Town Hall is what got her elected Sheriff. And as much as it pained Regina to admit it, a very small spark of respect was lit on that night.

Each new tactic Regina tried was thwarted by Emma or by pure luck. Emma thought that she had the upper hand when she had brought up the alleged misappropriation of funds that resulted in the playground being built for the kids at the town meeting and rather than giving in, Emma found away to make it work and come out with even more support from the town, even though no one would dare actually voice this support. Needless to say the support was there and Regina knew it was there, not that it bothered her in the least. She was the Mayor after all.

Yet a part of her looked forward to the inevitable clashes that had become the norm between the two women. In fact, though if pressed Regina would deny the allegation, that at times she had deliberately created a situation knowing, and perhaps needing, the resulting argument that was bound to happen. Why did she feel this unexplainable need to argue, clash and, dare she admit it, simply be in the presence of the irritating blond Sheriff? The last time she felt this overwhelming desire to be near someone was when she was with Daniel. But Emma was no Daniel. In fact she was his polar opposite in every way except for his capacity to love.

"Oh Daniel. I know you told me to love again and I did. I let a little baby boy into my life and I loved him like the child we wanted to have. But …." The sound of someone approaching the office has the Mayoral Mask slipping quickly into place. She turns just as Mr. Gold enters the office with his peculiar little smile that always made him seem he was amused by something only he knew about.

"Madame Mayor, The Sheriff not back, yet?"

Every time she was near him Regina felt like she needed to take a scalding hot bath and scrub all of the slimy residue that she always seems to feel all over herself after any encounter with him.

Her Mayor Mask firmly in place, she answers with a curt, "She's back. Was their something you needed?"

He tilts his head to one side studying Regina with his little impish smile. "No. Just wanted to welcome the Sheriff home." He turns to leave, pauses and looks back at Regina, " As I'm sure...you already have." He turns and exits the room leaving a perplexed Regina staring after him.

"A rather annoying little man, isn't he?"

Regina spins to find Ana leaning against one of the jail cells watching her.

"Who are you?"

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

A/N  
Characters are not mine except Ana and Aisa.  
Anything italicized is a flashback.  
All mistakes are mine.

Chapter 9

Mr. Gold's cane taps out a regular beat as he walks down the street. His normal disdainful look is, as always, a fixture on his face. He glances down at the cane, but never stops walking, and sees the eyes on the head of his cane glowing slightly. "Interesting." So absorbed in what the glowing eyes mean he fails to see Emma exit the alley until he collides into her. Only her quick reactions keep him from falling to the ground.

"Are you okay Mr. Gold?"

He brushes off his coat as if he was removing all physical contact of his encounter with Emma. "No, harm done Sheriff. I was lost in thought and didn't see you." He just barely keeps from reacting to the heat he can feel in his hand where it is wrapped around the cane head. He adjusts his hand so that the glowing eyes are hidden from anyone's casual glance and in particular Emma.

"In fact I'm glad we ran into each other."

"Literally."

He smiles that half smirk that always has everyone wondering if he is trying to be nice or if its his way of dealing with situations that he would rather not be in. "Yes, I believe that would be correct. I just wanted to extend my regards on your safe return."

"And we're you expecting anything different."

Gold studies Emma with that annoying half smirk firmly in place. "With you my dear Sheriff I can honestly say that the one thing I can be sure about is to expect the unexpected."

"Not sure if that's a compliment or not."

"Merely an observation. One that I'm sure that Mayor Mills would agree with me upon."

Emma laughs, "When have you and Regina ever agreed upon anything? Other than to agree to disagree."

"True, the Mayor and I are rarely on the same side, but the unexpected can happen," Gold leans closer to Emma, "And that my dear is when it gets the most interesting." He nods his head and says, "Sheriff," before resuming his walk down the street.

A puzzled Emma watches Gold and notices that he seems to be walking faster than his normal limping gait. She notices his hand on the cane head twitching with every step he takes. The twitch has her wondering whether this was nervousness or had he been irritated by someone. And the only person she knew that was a constant irritant, for Gold, was Regina. Everyone else in town feared the businessman except the Mayor and the Sheriff.

In fact the only time she could remember Gold not being in control was when his house had been broken into, but that was more anger than nervousness. The beating he gave Moe, once he found out the florist was behind the break in, seemed more revenge mixed with anger than about the break in. But with Moe refusing to press charges against Gold, Emma had been forced to drop the case. This was not the first case, nor would it be the last, where the facts didn't seem to add up. She chalked it up to just another quirk that was associated with living in Storybrooke.

She's pulled out of her thoughts when Leroy's truck comes to screeching halt and she is engulfed, and almost knocked down, by Ruby and Mary-Margaret's ecstatic hugs.

"Where have you been Emma?"

"We've been looking everywhere for you?"

"Sheriff." Emma looks at Leroy, who is standing behind the three women. "Glad you're back." He steps forward, and to the surprise of everyone including himself, he hugs Emma as well as Ruby and Mary-Margaret, who have refused to release their hold on her. He turns to go back to his truck trying to hide the flush he can feel that is turning his ears red, but stops when Emma calls his name. "Leroy." He glances back to see Emma nod her head and say, "Thanks."

He nods and then gruffly says, "Just don't make it a habit, Sheriff." He gets in his truck and drives a way leaving the three women laughing on the street at Leroy's response.

Ruby and Mary-Margaret watch Leroy drive away before turning and each smacks Emma on her upper arm with a well aimed punch. "Ow. What was that for?" Emma rubs her upper arms while the other two women cross their arms and simply stare at her.

"That was for disappearing for two days and not bothering to tell your friends where you were or…." Ruby trails off as she studies Emma. "Hmmm."

"Hmmm what Ruby."

Ruby turns to Mary-Margaret and smirks, "I do believe that our friend wasn't alone," turns to Emma, "While she was gone."

A shocked Mary-Margaret turns to stare at her roommate. "Emma?"

Emma wants to tell her best friends everything that happened to her, but even she is still having trouble believing much less understanding what had occurred in the cave. And if she can't make sense of what happened, then how can she expect Ruby and Mary-Margaret to understand.

"Look I went for a ride to get away and simply lost track of time."

"For two days? You're lying Emma Swan. Now tell us what really happened."

"Nothing."

The two women simply stare at Emma with looks of do you really think we're going to believe that nothing happened. She backs away and then steps past them.

"Emma, where are you going?"

"To the Sheriff's office." Emma continues walking leaving two frustrated women in her wake, who are torn between chasing after Emma and finding out what really happened and from feeding the gossip hungry friends that will be in Granny's diner.

Ana casually leans against the cell bars watching Regina and refusing to answer her question. She laughs outright when Regina repeats her question but in a more demanding tone. "Who are you?"

Never shifting, Ana smiles at the clearly agitated woman before her. "Not surprised you don't remember me. After all it has been a while."

"We've never met."

"Well not in this place and time we haven't."

"Explain."

Ana shakes her head, "Are we going to continue to play this game of whether we've met or not. It does get rather tedious having the same argument time and time again. Yes we have, no we haven't, yes we have, no we haven't, yes…."

Regina holds up her hand in annoyance. "Stop, then make it simple for yourself and tell me where we've allegedly met."

"As you wish," Ana bows and then glances upward at Regina, "Your Majesty."

Regina's eyes darken slightly at being called her Majesty, but she has been called that enough times by Emma that she doesn't visibly react.

Ana arises from her bowed position and walks over to one of the desks and sits on it. She nods to another desk, "You might as well get comfortable, this story could take awhile." She barely contains her laughter as the annoyed Regina reluctantly walks over to a desk and sits on the top of it. She lifts an eyebrow in challenge to Ana.

"Now do you want the first time we met or…."

"The first time."

Ana pretends to take the time to think but in reality is simply trying to get a rise out of Regina. "Lets see. Ah yes, you were about five years old and enjoying a picnic with your father. Your mother was also there."

Regina snorts, "If you knew my mother, she would never have been on a picnic. She considered it beneath her."

"True, but I never said she was enjoying the picnic, I said you were and of course your father."

"Continue."

"As you command. Now where was I, ah the picnic. You were running around exploring everywhere. You had such an inquisitive mind and was always asking why. At first your mother enjoyed the questions, but on this particular day she became infuriated at you for not accepting her answers as the truth. She didn't like to have her answers questioned, especially by a five year old.

Regina nods her head in agreement. "No, she didn't."

"Well on this day she began yelling at you and for the first time raised her hand to strike you. She sent you flying backwards where you landed above the river on a bank that overhung the river. This was the first time that her magic manifested itself when she became angry."

A flicker of fear surges through Regina. But she controls it and in a derisive tone, that was designed to insinuate that only an idiot would believe in the existence of magic, she says, "There is no such thing as magic."

Amused at Regina's answer, she continues. "There is always magic. It's just different here. Now may I continue with my story?"

"Please do. I've always enjoyed a good tale."

Ana simply smiles at Regina's attempt to act as if she wasn't interested in the story she's spinning. "What your mother didn't know was she had a choice that day. If she had reacted like a true mother, she would have been horrified at her actions but we both know she didn't. She choose power over the love a mother should have for her child."

Regina smirks knowing full well where this story was going. "Let me guess, she took the dark path and became the evil queen and cursed everyone."

"No, but on that day the creation of the Evil Queen began."

Regina schools her features to keep any reaction at this new information from showing. "And my father actions were what exactly?"

"When it came to your mother, he was a coward. He tried to protect you as best as he could. But when your mother began practicing the dark magic, there was very little he could do. Though he did his best by simply loving you as a father should."

"And I loved him. But how did a simple picnic lead to the creation of the Evil Queen?"

"The bank you were resting on crumbled and you were dropped into the river. The water was not only moving fast but was extremely cold from the winter thaw. Your father desperately tried to get to you but he was too late. They found you further down the river."

"Alive or dead?"

"When they found you, you were alive."

"So I died in the river?"

"Yes."

"And yet here I am. Care to explain, if I truly believed this story, how I came to be alive?"

"No, I won't tell you. But I will show you." Ana holds out her closed hand and slowly opens it. A transparent node appears and grows larger until it's the size of a large screen TV. The center of the node begins to cloud over and then solidify and a transfixed Regina watches as shapes begin to appear and she is transport back in time and place.

_A five year old Regina dances around in the meadow under the watchful but tolerant gaze of her father. As his daughter gets closer to the roaring river, that is out of sight but can easily be heard, he starts forward and hastily calls out to his daughter, "Regina, stay away from the river."_

_Regina tilts her head to one side, listening to the river but turns and waves to her father before responding with childish glee, "Okay papa." She runs around examining flowers, insects and anything that catches her attention. Still she occasionally glances toward the river bank, but heeds her father's request to stay away from the river._

_Off to one side is Regina's mother Cora, who is sitting on a chair under a tent to protect herself from the sun. Lips curl in disgust as she watches the antics of her child and her oaf of a husband. Her movements are quick and angry as she swats at the insects that she is sure simply exist to torment her. Why she ever agreed to this, waste of time in her opinion, picnic she would never understand. So lost in thought, she fails to notice that Regina is standing before her holding a dandelion that has gone to seed._

_"Mama, what is this?"_

_Cora barely glances at what Regina is holding nor is she impressed that of all the things her daughter could bring, she brings a dead weed. "It's a dead weed."_

_"Why is it dead? And what are these fluffy things on it."_

_Her loathing at both the dead weed and Regina's persistent questions has her snapping out, "It is dead and anything else concerning this weed is of insignificance to me."_

_Having an inquisitive nature and in true childish innocences she blows on the seed head sending the fluffy seeds into her mother's face. The look of outrage on her mother's face has Regina laughing. "Mama, you look funny."_

_The combination of being on a picnic that she has no desire to be on, the tormenting insects, a child that is constantly asking questions and now having her face covered in a dead weeds seeds pushes Cora over the edge. She responds with out thought by thrusting her hand out, slamming it into her daughter's chest and screams, "How dare you." To her shock, when her hand lands on Regina's chest, the child is sent flying into the air, landing heavily on the bank that hangs over the river._

_Regina's father stands frozen in disbelief at the actions of his wife, who is staring at her hand rather than being concerned about the health of her child. A barely heard and painful, "Papa," has him forgetting about the inaction of his wife and turning towards his daughter. He starts moving towards her, "Regina," and then begins to sprint as the bank breaks and his daughter disappears over the edge. "No."_

_He reaches what remains of the bank and carefully looks over the edge and sees nothing. Frantically he looks around and sees his daughter has fallen into the fast moving current of the river. "Regina!"_

_Regina struggles in the river but her efforts are futile due to the cold of the water and the _  
_shock she is still in from Cora's attack. Her eyes close as she succumbs to unconsciousness and eventually death._

_Her lifeless body bobs in the water until a hand grasps her shoulder and pulls her out of the current and onto the rock and tree strewn shore._

_Ana leans over Regina, her hand resting on the unresponsive chest. The hand begins to glow with a multitude of colors that spread out and encompass Regina's unmoving body and then fade away. A gurgling is heard as Regina's chest begins to move, drawing in much needed air._

_Ana leans closer and whispers in her ear, "This was not your time to die. No matter what you have to endure, no matter what you have to do, you must live. Too many people are dependent on your survival." _

_When Regina blinks her eyes open, she finds her father's tear stain face staring at her. "Papa?" He gently traces her face ensuring that his beloved daughter is indeed alive. He carefully wraps a blanket around her and clasps her to his chest. "Oh Regina, I thought I had lost you."_

_A devoid of all emotion especially that of a loving, concerned mother, "So the child lives," has Regina's father glaring at his wife, who stands far away from the river, her husband and the child she now has plans for that far exceed anything Cora's mother had had for her._

_She is disgusted at the state of her daughter's clothing. She completely ignores the fact that Regina's condition is due to her own actions and had also been at the mercy of the turbulent river. She wrinkles her nose in dismay at the coddling her husband is giving to the child and vows that this would be the last time she would ever allow her daughter to appear in public in anything other than the perfect wardrobe._

_No Regina would be a Queen and her mother would be the power behind the throne. She would use anyone and anything to make this possible. She glances at her hand and feels the tingle of her newly awakened magic and the seductive power it offers._

_Ignoring her husband, she turns and begins walking away but casually tosses over her shoulder, "Bring her, her training begins as soon as we return."_

As the node dissolves, a stunned Regina stares at Ana in disbelief at what she has just seen. But Regina being Regina quickly composes herself and refuses to let her emotions rule her head. She catches Ana by surprise when she asks, "What aren't you showing me?"

Emma enters the Sheriff's station, surprise on her face when she hears Regina's voice and shock at the other voice that she can hear. Quietly she steps to the door and listens. She shakes her head in wonder that she is now in the same position Archie was when he was eavesdropping on her and Regina in the garage. Normally she would condone this type of action, okay she did plant a bug in the Mayor's office that backfired spectacularly, but they were in her office and she had every right to know what was happening.

Ana's eyes flicker ever so briefly towards the door and smiles internally knowing Emma is at the door listening. "So you believe me?"

"What I believe is immaterial. What I do know is that there is something you're not telling me,' Regina's voice drops to what, if anyone could remember, would have been the Evil Queen's snarl that demanded her orders be carried out immediately, "and I want to know what that is," she stands and takes a step towards Ana, "right now."

An unperturbed Ana shrugs her shoulders. "What makes you think I'm hiding something?"

"Oh lets see, there's your little magical display that is trying to convince me that I died and you brought me back to life. That I had to live no matter, now what was it you said," Regina stops to ponder for a bit and then snaps her fingers, "ah yes, no matter what I had to endure, I had to live. And that too many people were dependent on my survival."

Ana continues to smile as Regina steps closer, "You are a charlatan of the worse kind and what ever game you think you're playing with me, you will lose." Regina steps even closer, her eyebrow quirks upward, which for anyone that has crossed swords or wits with her knows, is her acknowledgement that she has beaten you in whatever game you've dare to play with her. "You will leave, right now."

"No."

The fire blazing in Regina's eyes would have most people cowering in fear. "Did you not hear what I just said. I want you out of my town, now."

Ana shrugs her shoulders. "Is that an order….your majesty?"

Regina can't help the dark chuckle that escapes at Ana' acquiescence to her demand. "If that's what it takes for you to leave, then yes it is an order."

Ana tilts her head to one side studying the fiery brunette. She can see the anger warring with the need to find out what information Ana is withholding. "If I leave, you won't know what it is I haven't told you."

Regina waves her hand nonchalantly, "I don't care."

"Yes, you do." Ana, still sitting on the desk, raises her hand and places it on Regina's chest, and whispers so only Regina can hear, "Then remember what truly happened after what your mother did to you."

Regina's mouth drops open as memories, that had been buried deep, rush to the forefront of her mind.

_A groggy Regina lies on the bank near the river. Every fiber in her body aches from landing heavily on the ground. She turns her head hoping to find her parents rushing towards her, but what she sees is her father frozen in fear and her mother studying the hand she had touched Regina with._

_Trying to clear her head, Regina can just make out, or perhaps it was her mind playing tricks on her, a small man standing behind her mother and they appear to be talking. She watches as the small man taps his fingers together quickly and nods to Cora. The last thing she hears is weird laughter, coming from the small man, and her mother smiling._

_Her gaze turns back to her father and right before she feels the world drop out from beneath her, she whispers, "Papa?"_

Hearing an anguished, "No," has Emma rushing through the door to find Regina, alone, standing near a desk, her hand clutched to her chest. Frozen at the unexpected sight of a shell shocked Regina, all Emma can do is say, "Regina?"

Brown eyes, that had beguiled Emma from the very first time they met, slowly turned toward her and her heart ached from the pain and the fear that is reflected in those now dull brown eyes. But what had her moving across the room was the need for comfort that those same eyes were also pleading for.

Careful not to startle Regina, who is so lost in her memories that she doesn't even realize that anyone has entered the room, Emma gently places her hands on Regina's stiff arms and begins to lightly caress them in a soothing motion. She never says a word but simply lets the soothing motion of her hands speak for her by offering comfort without asking for anything in return.

With the gentlest of movements, Emma manages to maneuver Regina to one of the chairs and gently gets the still stunned woman to sit down. She grasps Regina's hand and whispers, "I'll be right back."

Keeping Regina in her line of sight, Emma walks over to the water dispenser and fills two of the coffee mugs with water. Instinctively she grabs a handful of napkins, picks up the mugs and returns to Regina. She sets one of the mugs, and the napkins, on the desk before holding out the other mug for Regina to take.

A still lost in thought Regina, simply looks at the mug not comprehending what is being offered to her. Emma carefully lifts one of Regina's hands and wraps her fingers around the mug. "Regina, you need to drink something." Following Emma's request, she lifts the mug and takes a sip before closing her eyes. A single tear slides down her cheek from the onslaught of emotions from the memories Ana has forced her to remember. Once the dam is broken, more tears begin to fall until her cheeks are glistening from the salty tears.

Emma grabs the cup before it drops from Regina's slack fingers, sets it to one side before seizing one of the napkins and dipping it into one of the cups. One hand rests softly against the side of Regina's face and she uses the wet napkin to wipe away the tears that are staining her cheeks. As she wipes away the tears, her thumb begins a tender massage of the silky smooth skin of Regina's cheek.

Still lost in the flood of emotions from her memories, Regina subconsciously leans into the soothing movement of Emma's thumb. With a deep sigh, her eyes slowly close as each gentle caress coaxes out and then wipes away the stress and the tension that has built up not only from the last two days but also from the confrontation with Ana.

Emma, for her part, is mesmerized by the beautiful, hurting and, most surprising, trusting woman that sits before her. She has seen Regina angry and more times than she wanted to admit that she was the cause of that anger. She had seen her concerned and desperate, like a good loving mother would be, when Henry had ventured into the mine. She had seen and been on the receiving end of her many manipulations. She had seen the caring and the love that Regina tried to hide from everyone. Why she seemed so determined to keep these emotions locked away made Emma, at times, wonder what had happened to Regina to make her this way.

What she had learned, in the short time that she had been in Storybrooke, was that Regina Mills was an enigma that, if Emma was truthful to herself, called to her like the siren's song in mythology. It was seductive and tempting. It offered hurt and it offered comfort, if you were willing to fight through all the walls to find the real person hiding in the shadows.

More often than not, Emma ran when her life became too complicated, too emotional. And yet when she came to the town limits, something felt different. Yes, she was glad her son was back in her life. Yes, she had great friends that, for the first time in her life, she could trust to always be there for her. And yet none of those reasons were the motivation for turning around and coming back to town. She had come back for this infuriating woman that challenged her to no end, she had come back for Regina.

Regina, who made her angry, who belittled her, who's manipulations were often blatant and yet were ignored by almost everyone in town. Honestly it was due to a healthy dose of fear mixed with a grudging respect for the Mayor.

Regina, who dangled the prospect of Emma spending more time with Henry and then ripping it away with little concern of how much it hurt Emma and their son.

Regina, who never let anyone see behind the mayoral mask, not even Graham, that was almost constantly in place. Henry was allowed in, but even he wasn't privileged to see the real, unguarded Regina Mills.

For the first time in her life Emma finally knew what she truly wanted. She wanted Regina. She wanted to know everything that had lead to the creation of this intriguing, infuriating, and at the moment vulnerable woman that quietly sat before her.

Both women were lost in their own thoughts and failed to notice that Regina's hand was resting lightly on Emma's hand that was caressing her cheek. Green eyes tracked to their hands and then to brown eyes that were no longer dull, but still filled with a multitude of emotions. A softly spoken, "Hey." was laced with implications that neither women, at the moment, was ready or willing to face.

Disappointment flashed in Emma's eyes when Regina sat backing breaking their physical connection. She watched as the barriers were rebuilt but was shocked when it wasn't the Mayor that spoke but rather Regina.

"Thank you."

Emma knew that she had to be careful in what she said or the remaining barriers would be rebuilt higher and tighter than before. She wanted this more open version of Regina to stay as long as possible. So she simply said, "You're welcome."

When ever Regina and Emma were alone in a room, it was rarely silent and was full of so much tension that, pardon the pun, it could be cut with a knife. But this silence and this tension was different than any other time, one was being vulnerable and the other was offering support with no strings attached.

In an unspoken request, Emma hands Regina one of the mugs of water. And at Regina's questioning look, she simply shrugs, "Thought you needed it."

The ringing of the phone on the desk has both jumping at the jarring interruption. Emma mutters under her breath, "What is it with this town?" and rolls her eyes, wondering once again why fate seems to be against her and Regina having a meaningful conversation. Her eyes glance to Regina's and is surprised to see the mirth  
that is sparkling in the depths of those brown eyes. Never breaking eye contact, she takes a calming breath, picks up the phone, and states, "Sheriff's office, who is at your beck and call, every minute of every day."

Much to Regina's astonishment is her reaction to the unprofessional manner Emma had answered the phone. Normally she would have reminded her that the Sheriff's office was a public office and as Sheriff she was expected to act professional in all capacities at all times and yet her reaction was the extreme opposite. In fact Regina had to quickly cover her mouth to keep the chuckles from erupting into full blown laughter that might have been heard by whomever was on the other end of the phone call.

Emma rolls her eyes as she listens to the caller. An annoyed, "Yes, Sydney, Regina's here." At the first sound of escaping laughter she's pointing her finger in admonishment, and yet smiles, as Regina's laughter increases in volume. A vehement, "No, Sydney, you do not need to come to the Sheriff's office." A deep sigh and a another roll of her eyes is followed by, "I'll tell her. Goodbye Sydney." She just manages not to slam the phone down and shakes her head in amusement as Regina's laughter erupts throughout the room.

"Why do you keep Sydney around? He's an annoying, clingy lap dog that comes whenever your crook your finger."

Still laughing, Regina can barely say, "Some question why I keep you around. You're annoying."

"True."

"You're always challenging my authority."

"Also true. But I don't come whenever you crook your finger."

The mirth in her eyes was hard to miss. "I beg to differ. You come every time I crook my," she lifts her finger, "finger," and her eyebrows lift in amusement. "when I dial your number."

"That's different. You're calling the Sheriff."

"But you still come."

"At least I'm not clingy."

And for some reason with that simple statement, the bubble that had existed around them burst and reality raised its harsh head.

Regina clears her throat and sets the mug of water in the desk. As she stands her wrist is captured by Emma. Her brown eyes glance at the hand on her wrist before lifting to meet green eyes that she expects to show pity after her emotional breakdown. But what she finds is even more terrifying for Emma's eyes are offering her something she can't or rather won't allow herself to accept, understanding.

Regretfully she pulls her wrist free, and clears her throat before saying, "I'll let you get back to work." She starts towards the door and stops at Emma's question.

"What did Ana say to you?"

With a puzzled look on her face, Regina turns to Emma, "Who?"

"The woman you were talking to?"

Brown eyes narrow in suspicion. Was this some sort of trick of Emma's to gain knowledge to use against her? Was everything that had happened part of a plan to gain her trust and to hurt her? "How do you know her name?"

"She's who I was talking to."

Whether she's angry that Emma has knowledge that she doesn't or whether it's jealousy that Emma had spent two days alone with that woman or the fact Emma had seen her in a vulnerable moment was unclear to Regina. Her walls of protection slammed into place with frightening speed and she can't keep the hurt and the betrayal out of the timber of her voice when she snaps out, "For two days."

"I didn't know it was that long until Henry told me."

Regina shakes her head in disbelief, "You really expect me to believe that, Sheriff?"

"It's the truth."

"There's the truth and then there's the truth."

Emma scrunches her eyebrows in confusion, "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that there are people who only see what they want to see. And then use that limited version of the truth to get themselves out of a situation." Regina steps closer. "Or to put it in much simpler terms, people have a tendency to bend the truth to help them get out of an embarrassing situation or out of spite."

"Oh that's rich coming from you."

Regina straightens her shoulders, her nostrils flaring in indignation, "Excuse me?"

"You are the Queen of bending the truth for your own gain."

"Sheriff I'm warning you…"

Emma holds up her hand to stop Regina, "No. You wanted to know where I've been for the last two days and I told you. And now because it doesn't fit into your version of the truth, I must be lying about where I was."

"Which you obviously are?"

"Really. Well let me point out a few things Madame Mayor. How did I know the woman's name was Ana?"

"How do I know that's really her name?"

Emma ignores Regina's comment and continues. "And where did she disappear to when I came into the room?" Regina starts to answer and then stops. "Can't answer that can you?"

She steps closer to Regina. "From her saying, 'Yes, you do' and you saying, 'No', in a heart wrenching way, was all of five seconds before I came in. There wasn't time for her to leave by the other door."

"Unless that was all part of your plan?"

A completely baffled Emma stares at Regina before she starts laughing. "You accused me of being good at the art of deflection. Well you Madame Mayor are the master."

As an angry Regina stalks to the door, Emma knows just what to say to keep her from leaving the room. "You're a coward Regina." She keeps a smirk on her face knowing full well that it will further antagonize Regina into defending herself. And that's what she wants. It will force them to talk and talking is not what Regina wants to do, especially as raw as her emotions are at this moment.

Regina spins, her hands clenching in anger. "You, who runs whenever your life gets too complicated dares to call me a coward."

Emma holds her hands out wide. "Still here."

"You had Henry in jail and then gave him up."

Emma bristles at the hurt that races through her but steels herself, "Being in jail until I gave birth protected him and I would have been a coward if I had kept him. I did what I thought was best for him." She tilts her head to one side studying the seething woman. "Anything else?" When Regina fails to respond, Emma simply says, "No. Then let me explain exactly why I think you're a coward."

Regina snarls, "I am not going to listen to anything further from you Sheriff. Good day." As she turns to leave, her arm is grabbed and she is wrenched backwards. And before she can't hurl out an angry retort at being manhandled by the Sheriff, she feels the cold metal of a handcuff closing around her left wrist and to her consternation she finds the other end of the handcuff is attached to Emma's right wrist.

A growl comes from deep inside of Regina, is unleashed with a biting, "Uncuff me now Sheriff," was so dark and so menacing that Emma had to wonder if she had gone to far. But what was done was done and there was no going back.

Emma responds with a simple, "No."

Regina glares and steps around Emma to get to the keys she knows are kept in the drawer. In her anger, she yanks hard enough that the drawer completely comes out of the desk spilling the contents, minus a set of handcuff keys, all over the floor. "Where are they?"

Feigning innocence, Emma looks at the contents of the drawer that now lies in a mess on the floor. "Well if they're not there, then I have no idea where they could be."

"You're lying. Now uncuff before I decide to press charges for detaining me against my will."

Emma's left hand comes to rest on her chest and acts shocked at the revelation of the Mayor possibly pressing charges. "Are you accusing me Madame Mayor of unlawfully detaining you from exercising your prerogative to leave the premises?"

She holds up their cuffed hands and pointedly looks from the handcuffs to Emma. "That is exactly what I am saying."

"Then I had better take down your statement."

An incredulous Regina stares at Emma. "Are you serious?"

Emma has a look of innocence on her face that both women know is fake. "But of course. It is my job as the duly elected Sheriff, to make a record of any and all complaints that are brought to my attention by the citizens of Storybrooke. You are a citizen are you not?"

"Of course I am."

"Okay then. Let me get the form I need and then you can describe in detail your complaint." Emma looks on the desk, pulls a still fuming Regina with her to a filing cabinet and looks inside. She slams the drawer shut after a fruitless search and then snaps her fingers, "I knew there was something I needed to do."

A still fuming Regina arches an eyebrow, "And that would be what exactly?"

Emma tries hard not to smile at the fuming Mayor. "Restocking the complaint forms."

An exasperated Regina tries to cross her arms and finds that when she does, Emma's right hand comes to rest on her chest. She quickly lowers her arms and lets out a huff of air. "I've changed my mind."

"Sorry. The process has already been started and I wouldn't want to have someone filing a complaint about my dereliction of duty by failing to follow through on a concerned citizens complaint."

A resigned Regina surprisingly concedes. "What do you want Sheriff?"

Surprised that Regina has yielded to her requests almost has her forgetting what she wanted. She recovers quickly. "Tell me what Ana said to you?"

Regina refuses to meet Emma's gaze. "Nothing of importance."

She should have known by Regina's quick concession that she had no intention of revealing anything unless it was forced out of her. And if Regina's ultimate goal was to provoke another reaction, then Emma was determined not to give her what she wanted. And in a steady voice that belied what she was really feeling, she simply states the obvious. "Right and you always look shell shocked after not having a conversation with someone."

"Our discussion was private."

Regina was expecting an angry reaction but what she was not expecting was Emma invading her personal space nor the anguished tone of her voice. "You have to be the most annoying, frustrating, insensitive, manipulative, self-serving, scheming bitch that I have ever known. And considering some of the people that I've met, that's saying something."

If Emma thought that Regina's acquiescence to her demands would continue, she should have known better. Because the Regina that doesn't back down, the Regina that doesn't ask for respect but demands it, was back in her, snarled, "If that's how you see me, then why do you stay?"

Emma steps even closer, her eyes reflecting all of the hurt and anger that had been building in her since she had woken up in jail after the first night in Storybrooke. And yet there was something else in her eyes that left Regina wondering about other possibilities. She had to shake her head to clear her thoughts when she failed to hear Emma's whispered words. "What did you say?"

"I said that for some unexplainable reason.." Emma's voice trails off and her gaze drops to the floor.

"What? You loathe me or you hate me. Perhaps it's both." When Emma fails to respond, Regina continues her scathing attack. "You had no problem describing, in great detail, exactly what you thought of me and now for some inexplicable reason you, though I really shouldn't be surprised, now have nothing to say."

Regina expected to hear the hatred and loathing in Emma's response but she should have known that dealing with Emma Swan, you should expected the unexpected and that is exactly what she got. Four words that she hadn't heard in a lifetime. Four words that she never expected, without some sort of coercion, to ever freely be said to her. Four simple words that began the healing of a soul that no one, especially not even the Evil Queen, could ever have envisioned happening. Four words that changed everything.

"I care about you."

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

A/N Just borrowing the characters except for Ana and Aisa.  
All mistakes are mine.

Chapter 10

Henry bolts down the front sidewalk, the front door slamming hard enough that the lock fails to engage, leaving it slightly ajar. So intent on his mission, he barely notices that Pongo has rounded the corner of the house and is running along side of him. As he rounds the hedge, that partially obscures the front of the house from the casual observer on the street, and runs squarely into Archie, knocking both of them to the ground.

Archie pushes away the overly ecstatic Pongo, who is happily licking his face. "Henry are you okay?"

Henry bounds to his feet and grabs Archie's hand trying to pull him to his feet. "I'm fine Archie. You need to see what I've discovered."

Archie allows himself to be pulled to his feet and then towed towards the Mayor's house where the front door stands ajar. He hesitates at the open door not wanting to earn the Mayor's wrath by entering her home without her knowledge. "Henry, The Mayor isn't going to like me in her house without her approval."

Henry keeps tugging on Archie's hand. "She never comes home before five. And since she's been arguing with Emma, then it will be even later. So we have plenty of time."

Archie whispers, "They were more than arguing," which earns him a confused look from Henry before continuing, "Now what did you want me to see." He stands, a look of calm appearing on his face which was the extreme opposite of what he was actually feeling. He knew the Mayor would not approve of him being allowed unguarded access to the inner sanctum of her home. Hopefully her distraction of kissing and being kissed by Emma would allow him to get in and out without her being the wiser to his actions, though he doubts he will be that lucky. He follows Henry in, closing the door, leaving Pongo outside.

Henry bounds up the staircase, with Archie reluctantly following and making note of every feature that decorates the interior of the house. He wonders about the number of mirrors that seemed to dominate the interior but shakes his head knowing that that was a subject that he was highly unlikely to ever broach with the cool and distant Mayor. He smiles as he thinks about Emma asking Regina about her need for so many mirrors. Would they argue or would they start kissing. He laughs, "Knowing those two, they'd do both."

Henry's head appears around the door frame of his room, "Archie, come on," and then disappears back into his room with Archie following.

Archie enters the room to find Henry sitting in front of his computer. "What do you want to show me?"

"I was talking to this woman…."

"Henry? You know you're…" Archie's eyes widen as he realizes what Henry has said, "Wait, what woman?"

Henry rolls his eyes as if saying if you'd just let me talk then you'd know what I'm talking about. "Pongo and I went to the park before going home and there was this strange woman sitting on a park bench. She said that she was here to visit Mr. Gold. I mean who willingly goes to see Mr. Gold?"

Archie nods his head in agreement. "No one that I can think of."

"Exactly. She said she collected shears. And if the shears had interesting and peculiar stories attached to them, those were her favorites. She showed me this odd looking pair…."

Archie places his hand on Henry's shoulder, "She didn't hurt you, did she?"

"No, Pongo wouldn't let her near me or let me step closer to her. Which is odd, because he likes everyone, well except for , but who really likes or even trusts him?"

"I'm sure someone at sometime liked and possibly trusted Mr. Gold."

The look that Henry levels on Archie is a mixture of disbelief and amusement. Both were looks he had seen often on Emma and Regina, though this was the first time he had seen both looks at the same time on the same person. Henry, whether his mothers wanted to believe it or not, truly was a mixture of the two women. "Sorry, finish your story."

"She was going to tell me the story about the shears she had bought from Mr. Gold but before she could, she seemed to be in some sort of pain."

"Then what?"

"After the pain appeared to pass, she stood and started to walk away until I asked her name."

"Did she tell you?"

"Yes, she said her name was Aisa and smiled as if she was rarely asked her name."

"Perhaps she's just uncomfortable revealing her name to someone she's just met."

Henry shakes his head, "Archie, she called me by my name."

"Maybe you told her or she overheard someone talking."

"How? Almost everyone was out looking for Emma, except you, Mom and Mr. Gold."

"I don't know."

"And that's not all." Henry turns the monitor so Archie can see and moves his mouse to bring it out of sleep mode. A web page on Greek mythology appears concerning the three fates. "When I searched for Aisa I came to this story. And if I'm right Aisa is another name for Atropos."

Archie studies the monitor. "And who is Atropos?"

"She's one of the three fates that decide each person's life."

Archie rubs his face in frustration, "Now I'm confused. First you think that everyone in town is a fairy tale character that has been cursed by the Evil Queen. The Evil Queen that you think is your mother and your birth mother is the savior, who will break the curse, which is why you went to Boston to find her. And now you seemed to have let this latest obsession over this new to Storybrooke woman convince you that we are no longer fairy tale characters living under a curse but are controlled by the fates of Greek mythology?"

Henry tilts his head to one side in trying to understand why Archie doesn't get the connection that is plainly obvious, "Archie, don't you see the connection?"

"No I don't. So make me understand Henry. Because your imagination is beginning to take control of your life and that's not…."

"Healthy. I'm not crazy Archie." Henry crosses his arms and his lips curl into indignation that because he has a healthy imagination then he must be crazy. After all hadn't they already had this discussion when the Evil Queen had tried to drive a wedge between him and Emma.

Archie clasps Henry's shoulders. "I know you're not crazy but being this obsessed isn't good for you. You need some proof other than the stories in that book of yours."

Henry's eyes widen in thought, "Archie, that's it." He darts out of the room yelling over his shoulder, "I think I know how to prove everything."

A bewildered Archie is left to ponder how exactly Henry is going to prove what he says is true when he hasn't been able to in the past. While he waits for Henry to return he begins reading about Atropos/Aisa on the computer. He mutters to himself, "Interesting parallels."

In the far corner of the garden, hidden from view, is a forgotten sand pile framed in wood. Henry pauses for a moment remembering the once joyful times when his mother would throw off the Mayor persona and play with him in their own private oasis of sand. He could imagine the number of people who would be shocked to know that his mother would not only play in the sand but would also create voices for each of the characters in their mini adventures and would often let him win just to see his smile.

Pongo appears next to him and leans into him as a few tears fall. He wipes them away and hugs the dog. "Thanks Pongo. You can help me dig." He kneels on the wood frame and Pongo happily gets into the sand. He and Pongo, who surprisingly doesn't send sand flying everywhere, dig into the sand until a metal box with a lock is revealed. He opens it and smiles at the contents, his book and just as he expected or rather hoped for, loose pages were sticking out.

Pongo wags his tail as he watches Henry, who sets the book to one side and then places the box back into the sand and covers it just incase someone happened to venture this far into the garden. He had to smile at the thought of someone being daring enough to step foot on the Mayor's property without her permission other than Emma. Nope Emma was the only person in Storybrooke that dared to openly challenge the Mayor. Satisfied that all traces of his presence have been erased, he stands, grabs the book, pats Pongo on the head and then makes his way back to the house clutching the book and the loose pages.

Rarely had Regina, either as the Evil Queen or as the Mayor, ever been left speechless and yet all it took was four simple words to find herself utterly unable to produce any sound that may have resembled a word.

To say that Emma was beyond surprised by her admission would have to be the understatement of the year. She could see in Regina's eyes a mixture of confusion, mistrust, a fear of being hurt and a faint glimmer of hope. And that glimmer of hope is what Emma wanted and needed to grow stronger. She knew she had to be careful in choosing her words to convince Regina that what she felt, wanted and needed was real and not part of some grand scheme to take Henry away from his her.

Her stubborn determination had gotten her out of more situations than she cared to admit to, but she knew this was different. This wasn't an embezzler that had abandoned his wife and kids after jumping bail. This wasn't one of her typical bail jumpers or those seeking bail who created stories that were designed to be heart wrenching. That was business where her decisions could cost her money or an injury or two.

But what was standing before her was someone who could hurt her far worse than anyone had ever done before. This included her abandonment on the side of the road by her parents, every wretched foster home she had been forced to endure and even Neal tossing her away to protect himself. Yes, her heart had been broken and she was jaded and she didn't trust nor gave her friendship easily. And yet the same could be said about Regina. And this realization, that Regina was like her in so many ways, made her determination, even greater, to convince the mercurial woman before her the genuine sincerity of her feelings.

Regina wasn't sure how to react to Emma's soft declaration of caring about her. The devil on her shoulder, or in this case the Evil Queen, was ranting about how this was simply a trap to bring about her downfall. That Emma didn't care and was using any means necessary to take Henry from her. No, she wouldn't or couldn't let that happen. No one could truly care about Mayor Mills, the Evil Queen or even Regina.

And yet the glimmer of hope reminded her that not everyone has a hidden agenda. That sometimes what is said is simply the truth and straight from the heart. She hadn't been asked to trust anyone like this since Daniel had died. The question was did she dare let herself take the chance in believing that Emma was being sincere.

Still her suspicious nature towards anyone that seemed to care about her rose to the forefront. Her skepticism about Emma's declaration was evident in the dismissive timbre of her voice, "Why would you care about me?"

Emma shrugs her shoulders, "I just do."

Regina snorts in disbelief. "And you want me to simply believe that you do. I'm not surprised that you'd stoop to this level just to be able to spend more time with Henry."

Emma shakes her head in annoyance. "Just stop it."

Regina smirks. "Stop what Miss Swan? You're the one that wanted to talk. You're the one that insisted that I needed to listen to what you have to say. And now that you have a, " holds up their handcuffed hands, "a captive audience, you have nothing to say."

"I have plenty to say."

"Really?"

Emma sighs in frustration, "Regina…"

Regina leans closer to Emma and snarls, "No, you will address me as Mayor Mills."

Finally Emma has had enough of Regina's antagonistic attitude and her steely determination refuses to back down. She matches Regina's snarl with one of her own. "It's not Mayor Mills I want to talk too, it's Regina."

That simple declaration has Regina rolling her eyes, "Really? And here I thought you were clever enough to see that they are one and the same."

"No, they aren't." A frustrated Emma starts to walk away and is pulled up short by the handcuffs. Regina tries and fails to keep the smirk off of her face at the look of annoyance that appears on the Sheriff's face.

"We are going to talk." Much to Regina's surprise, Emma seizes her hand and pulls her toward the jail cell.

Regina tries to pull her hand free, but Emma simply tightens her grip and continues pulling the reluctant Mayor towards the cell. But a biting, "Why am I not surprised that you feel more comfortable talking in a cell." has Emma stopping and whirling to confront Regina. "I for one, do not want to have this talk standing up. And if that means we are going to sit on the cot in that," points at the cot in the cell, "cell, then that's where, whether you like it or not, we're going to have this conversation." She steps closer, her eyes challenging Regina.

Eyes flashing at the challenge that Emma is daring her to accept, Regina steps past her towards the cell, determined to remain in control. "When you're finish talking I expect to be released, immediately." Emma smiles as she is now the one being pulled into the cell.

She rolls her eyes and just manages not to laugh when Regina sits at the very edge of the cot, next to the wall, forcing Emma to either stand or sit on the floor. Instead she turns and quickly puts a knee on either side of Regina's hips and sits in her lap to keep Regina pinned to the cot. Fully expecting to be pushed away, Emma quickly pins both of her wrists against the wall of the cell.

The flash of arousal in those brown eyes reminds Emma of their heated kiss in the garage. And as much as she would love nothing better than to lose herself in another kiss, that would be counter productive to what she is trying to achieve at this moment. She desperately wants to close her eyes and bask in the warmth that is ghosting over her skin with every agitated breath Regina takes and waits for her indignant demand to move. She doesn't have to wait long.

"Get off me Miss Swan."

A flicker of something in Regina's eyes keeps Emma from saying no. Looking closer she sees fear, but not a physical fear of Emma. No this was the type of fear that changed a person emotionally, that kept people out.

Emma leans back, putting more weight on her bent legs and less on Regina's thighs. She loosens her grip but doesn't remove her hands completely, letting Regina decide whether to pull her wrists free. And to her surprise her hands don't move.

"Now it makes sense."

"I'm surprised anything makes sense to you."

Ignoring the dig, Emma continues. "That time in your office when Henry accidentally overheard us talking. I asked you how did you become this way and you just smirked. It was the look on your face after you thought I'd left that confused me until this moment."

"Probably relief at you leaving."

Emma's voice softens as she remembers the scene in the Mayor's office. "It was the first time I ever saw you hurt by a comment. The first time I saw the real Regina. You try so hard to make everyone think that the mighty Mayor Mills doesn't care what people think of her. That she doesn't get hurt by the mistrust and even the hatred that is directed at her. But we both know that's a lie. It scares you to let someone care about you and terrifies you that you might actually let yourself step out from behind your Mayor persona and care about someone."

Regina's eyes flash in anger and her body trembles from the accusation that she doesn't care about Henry. "Never question how deeply I care about my son."

"I know you do, but you even keep him at arms length. Kathryn is one of the few friends you seem to have in town and yet you won't or rather can't let her be close. And then when someone tells you they care about you, you act like it's some grand scheme to hurt you in some way."

Regina is desperately trying to keep hidden how close Emma is to the truth. Her survival instincts that have served her well in the past rise up as she snarls, "Are you quite through Miss Swan?"

Emma notices Regina's clenched jaw muscle twitching and would love to kiss every inch of that muscle until it relaxed but instead she takes a deep breath, forcing her eyes to stay locked on Regina's. "Not even close. Of all the people in this town, you and I are more alike than either one of us wants to admit. Yes, we have Henry in common but that's just one of many. Would you like to hear them?"

Regina flexes her hand making the handcuff links clank. "Not like I have much of a choice."

"That's not true. We always have a choice. But if you don't want to hear what I have to say, then tell me and I'll unlock the handcuffs and let you leave." Emma knew she was taking a chance in giving Regina a chance to run before they could have their far overdue discussion, but it was a chance she had to take.

She tried to keep as calm as possible so not to reveal how nervous she was while she awaited Regina's decision. She can feel the tautness in the body under her as well as the tension in the wrists that are in her hands. What she wasn't expecting was the almost hesitant tone in Regina's voice when she asks, "What do you want?"

She relaxes knowing that Regina, for the moment, is willing to listen to what she has to say. Her voice softens, "What I want is very simple." Emma nods towards the desk, "I don't want the Mayor, I want Regina. The Regina that was laughing when I was talking to Sydney. The Regina that was open and vulnerable. The Regina that has so much to offer if she would just lower those walls around her heart and let people in that care about her."

The fingers of Emma's left hand moves and come to rest on Regina's lips keeping her from responding. "Let me say what I need to and then I promise to listen to whatever you have to say." A hesitant nod of Regina's head has Emma moving her hand until it rests on Regina's shoulder. Her fingers begin lightly massaging the tense muscle under them.

"Growing up I quickly learned that I was nothing more than a check from the state. There was abuse. Some was physical but it mostly was indifference towards me and the other foster kids. The best foster parents I had were killed in a car accident when I was five, but most didn't seem to care about me. And I learned that the only person that I could truly rely on was myself. I never let myself care about anything or anyone until I had Henry. I cared so much that I had to do the right thing for him and so I gave him up. That was the second hardest thing I've ever done."

Emma wipes away the tears on her face and chuckles when Regina can't help but ask, "What was the hardest?"

"Just can't keep quiet can you."

"Would you expect anything else?" has Emma smiling as this was Regina asking not Mayor Mills.

"No." She takes a moment to gather her thoughts before continuing. "When Henry found me in Boston and said I was his birth mother, I have never been so terrified. I was scared he was going to ask all of the questions that I had ever wanted to ask my birth parents. Why did you give me up? Why wasn't I good enough. What did I do wrong? How could you leave me on the side of the road? Where was I born? Why didn't you ever try to find me? Why didn't you love me enough to keep me? He didn't ask any of those question. Rather he told me a story about a town cursed by an Evil Queen and that I was destined to be the savior."

She shakes her head at the memory. "I've heard some wild, unbelievable stories working in bail bonds but his story beat them all by a wide margin. I wasn't sure I believed him that I was his mother and was only planning on bringing him back and then leave. And then I met you. Yes, we clashed and I understood why. You thought I was there to take him away and you reacted to that perceived threat as any concerned parent would. You were so determined to drive me out of town that it made me that much more determined to stay. That's one of the reasons why I stayed."

"So if I had asked you nicely to leave town and stay out of Henry's life, you would have left?"

"I was already leaving and if Henry hadn't left his book in the car, then yes I would have left. Now whether I would have stayed away, that I can't answer."

"I'll have to remember that the next time I need you to do something."

"Which would be, what exactly?"

Regina leans forward. She can see the effect each exhalation of air has as it softly glides across Emma's face, chilling and warming at the same time. She can feel Emma's heated gaze when her tongue barely emerges to wet just a portion of her dry lips. "I'll ask you nicely."

The rich, deep timbre of Regina's voice caressing her skin leaves Emma speechless, tense and wanting. And oh did she want to feel, to get lost in the enigma that is Regina Mills. So lost in her thoughts it takes her a minute to realize that Regina is asking her a question.

She has to shake her head to clear it before asking, "What did you say?"

Regina smirks at the effect she has on Emma. "I said what were the other reasons you decided to stay?"

"Um.."

"Um," her eyebrow arches in amusement, "is not a valid reason Miss Swan.

"Right the other reasons." Emma takes a few breaths giving her time to gather her thoughts that had scattered to the far corners of the earth. She closes her eyes, nods her head and after gathering her thoughts, opens her eyes. "Another was how in the short time I was here, almost everyone made me feel welcome and that I could have, if I wanted it, a home here."

Emma watches in amusement as Regina's eyes twinkle and she bites her lower lip to keep from speaking and saying, 'You're admitting that I'm right.' She shakes her head, "You are so going to frequently remind me of that, aren't you?"

Regina simply smiles and nods her head in agreement. She lifts her right eyebrow, questioning if Emma was going to continue or was she finished talking.

"No, I'm not done. Henry, feeling at home and friends are all good reasons why I stayed, but the main reason was you. Not Mayor Mills but Regina. The person that I glimpsed occasionally who longed to be asked to join in a community project not as the Mayor but as simply Regina, mother of Henry. The person who cares so deeply for her son that she's afraid she'll lose him. The person that wants to have someone care about her, to listen to her, to be there for her for no other reason than they want to. And no matter what game you think I'm playing, I'm offering, no, not offering, I want to be that person."

Green eyes close before slowly opening and looking anywhere but into Regina's eyes. "You asked me earlier what was the hardest thing I've ever had to do." She lifts her gaze to meet Regina's. "I thought it might be Henry finding me and asking me all of those questions. I thought it might be settling down and finally making a home. I though it would be learning to trust in others. It turned out not to be any of those things."

She lifts her hand and gently cups Regina's cheek. Her thumb softly caresses the silky smooth skin. "It was telling you," she leans forward, tilting her head until her lips are almost touching Regina's, "how I feel." She feels the rush of air before her lips slide against Regina's and every rational and irrational thought seems to melt away. Unlike their previous kisses, this one was not desperate. Rather it was a promise of what could be. It promised everything if they were willing to take a chance.

Archie is reading on the computer when Henry races into the room carrying the book and the loose pages. He looks at the book and then to Henry. "Where have you been hiding the book?"

"Someplace my mom would never think to look." He hands the book to Archie, who opens it and begins skimming through the pages. This was after all the first time he had actually seen the book that Henry was always talking about. He stops on the page where the Evil Queen has a sword flying through the air towards her. He quietly acknowledges to himself that the picture does have some resemblance to Mayor Mills. When he gets to the end of the book, he expects to find the torn edges of the pages Henry had ripped out and that Emma had burned in his fireplace, but to his surprise they were gone. He examines the book and there is nothing to indicate that pages had ever been there much less that they have been torn out. "Henry, did you do something to the book?"

"Nope. Why?"

"The torn page edges are gone. It's as if they didn't exist. Has this happened before?"

"I've never torn out pages before. So I'm not really sure what the book will do."

Noticing the loose pages in Henry's hand, "Where did those come from?"

"They were loose in the book. I thought maybe there would be something on Aisa."

"But if the book only tells fairy tales then there wouldn't be anything. She's not a fairy tale character." Archie glances from the book, to Henry and then to the computer. Understanding sweeps across his face. "Depends on how you define a fairy tale character. She's a myth and a legend and could be describe as a fairy tale by some societies."

Henry opens the book to the end. He places one of the loose pages on the back cover with the torn edge along the spline, but not touching. He and Archie watch as the edge of the page slowly connects itself along the spline until there is a newly attached page in the book.

Archie, for his part, would never have believed what just happened if he hadn't seen it with his own eyes. He lifts up the corner of the newly attached page to make sure that what he thinks happened really did happen. He takes off his glasses and wipes away the non-existent dirt, giving him time to think, and then puts them back on.

"Henry, I want to apologize for never really believing you. I…I mean…wow."

Henry is full of smiles as he finally has someone in town truly believing what he has been saying. "I wonder what it means."

"Try the another page."

Henry places another page behind the new one and together they wait, but nothing happens. It remains loose. "Guess the book determines when it wants us to know something." The loose page is removed and set to one side.

A flicker of something catches Archie's attention when Henry touches the new page. "Henry?" Henry turns to Archie. "What?"

"Try touching the new page."

Henry places one finger on the page and in the upper left corner, ink begins to appear. He quickly pulls his finger away and the ink stops. "That was weird."

"Touch it again but don't remove your finger."

Henry lays his finger on the page once again. The ink that had stopped resumes moving. He and Archie watch in stunned fascination as the ink spreads slowly over the entire page creating an image of a woman holding a pair of shears in her hand standing in some sort of room. They look at each other in shock when the image begins to move on the page.

"Henry?"

"I don't know."

They watch as the woman that resembles Aisa walks to the wall behind her, waves her hand and what appears to be a extremely intricate spider web becomes visible.

Henry glances at Archie, "That's Aisa, the woman I saw in the park."

"Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure."

Archie and Henry watch as the page zooms in on the spider web and Aisa until they can see her holding one of the threads that is a very dull green in color. A node appears revealing an older man sitting alone on a sand dune, against the remains of a tree fort, at a beach, looking tired and world weary. They watch as the shears open and move forward until the dull green thread rests along the blade. Then with a quick closing of the cutting blade the thread is cut and the man clutches his chest and falls sideways onto the sand dune.

Henry slams the book close, grabs it and darts over to his toy box. He quickly hides the book beneath the toys he no longer plays with and slams the lid down. "Come on Archie. We have to go." He starts to leave his room, stops and goes back to grab Archie's arm

Still rattled and confused by what he thinks he saw in the book, it takes him a moment to comprehend that Henry is pulling on his arm. "Henry, what…."

"We need to see if that really happened."

"How? We don't know where that man was."

Henry turns to Archie with a look of surprise and stops. "Seriously? You didn't recognize where that man was sitting?"

Archie shakes his head in the negative.

"That's the dunes at the harbor. Right around the point."

"Are you sure Henry? Those dunes could be anywhere."

"He was leaning against the tree fort that mom and I built. We use to go there and play pirates and other games. That was before I got the book. Before Emma. Before everything changed." Henry shakes his head. "Sometimes…"

"Sometimes what Henry?"

"Sometimes I wish Miss Blanchard had never given me that book. Then my mom would still be my mom and not the Evil Queen."

Archie leans toward Henry. "Does your mom still love you?"

"She says she does."

"Does she still make you do everything you did before you thought she was the Evil Queen?"

Henry looks at Archie, his head tilting to one side as he thinks about the question. "Yeah. But she doesn't want me to see Emma."

Archie nods his head. "Henry, Regina was the only mother you knew for ten years. Then you brought Emma here and what was the first thing you said to your mother?"

Henry bites his lip and lowers his head, "That she wasn't my mother and that I had found my real mother." He wipes away a tear before looking at Archie. "I hurt my mom, didn't I?"

"You did. Probably more than she would ever admit."

"And if she really is the Evil Queen?"

Archie knows there are always, at a minimum, two sides to any story. And from his many talks with Henry, it seems the book has failed to tell both sides. "The Queen is evil because she cast the curse that sent all of the fairy tale characters to Storybrooke, right?"

"Yeah."

"Why did she cast the curse? What happened to her? Why was she given the title the Evil Queen? Did she create the curse or was it given to her?"

Henry gets a look on his face as he contemplates Archie's questions. "I don't know. The book never said why she cast the curse, just that she did."

"And Emma is the savior because she's the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming."

"Yeah."

"Did you ever ask Emma why she gave you up? Why she was in jail? Did she do anything that might be seen as evil?"

Henry slowly shakes his head. "No."

"And if Emma is the savior, doesn't that mean she's has to save the Evil Queen?"

"She has to defeat the Evil Queen. That's what the savior does."

Archie leans forward, his elbows resting on his knees. "But Henry if she saves the Evil Queen from herself, isn't that a way of defeating her?"

Seeing the confusion on Henry's face from trying to make sense of why the story of the Evil Queen was left incomplete in the book . Archie watches as Henry's shoulders slump from how he has treated his mother without hearing both sides of the story.

Archie clasps Henry's shoulder and squeezes it in comfort and support. "Henry, just think about what I've said and we can talk about this later. First we need to get to the dunes and see if that man is really there."

Henry lunges into Archie's arms and hugs him. "I know one thing the book was right about, you are Jiminy Cricket, the conscious for everyone."

Archie smiles, "I think I like being the conscious for everyone. Now lets go to the dunes."

Archie and Henry hurry out of the room.

While part of Regina was lost in the bliss from kissing Emma and from being kissed, the dark part of her mind was rapidly processing everything that had happened in the last few hours. How could she be kissing, of all people, Henry's birth mother? How could she be kissing the Savior that was prophesied to return and break the curse? How could someone care about her? No one knows what she's done and the lengths she's gone to to achieve her need for revenge.

But her soul fragments were fighting back. They reminded the small part of Regina's heart that was not cold and bitter that becoming the Evil Queen was not her choice. That her mother began her training after the incident at the river. Her heart was reminded of all the punishments that Regina had been forced to endure from her mother's wrath. And what of all the manipulations by everyone that wanted something from her? They all contributed to the creation of the Evil Queen.

Regina was not an innocent for she choose the dark path but she was not alone in creating the Evil Queen.

Most importantly, the soul fragments reminded Regina's heart that she had always been loved by her father. Yes, he was a weak individual. His failure to stop Cora's training was his ultimate sin, but he was always there. He loved her unconditionally, probably the last person to do so other than Daniel, and stayed by her side when she gave in almost fully to the power that the dark magic offered. He stayed with her even knowing that she could and would take his heart to enact the curse. He loved her and refused to leave her side even knowing that his death was, more than likely, eminent.

Yet even in her darkest moments, the Evil Queen couldn't bring herself to kill Snow White and many wondered why. Myths and legends grew around her inability to kill the one person she despised most in the world and why Snow White was so hated. Few knew of what happened to Daniel and how it changed Regina from a loving individual, even though her mother did her best to destroy that part of her, to a depressed, isolated, and ignored Queen. A Queen who was manipulated into seeing that her only recourse was to make the person she held responsible for the situation she was in to suffer as she suffered.

It was her father's influence and love that ensured a small part of her heart never blackened. That part some how managed to keep the Evil Queen's heart from turning truly and irrevocably evil. And by saving Snow White, it ensured that the savior would have the opportunity to not only save all of the fairy tale characters that had been cursed, but to also save the Evil Queen from herself.

But the darkness that dwelled within Regina was far from willing to concede any kind of defeat. It had remained dormant, for Regina had no real need for it once the curse had been enacted, but it never forgot what it was nor what it was capable of and it began to fight for the return of the Evil Queen. It began battering the soul fragments and the small part of Regina's heart that, somehow the darkness had missed this, had grown larger when Henry entered and began influencing her life.

Regina's eyes snapped open to find herself being kissed senseless and she wanted nothing more to loose herself in the sensations that were flooding her body, but she was afraid. That's right Regina Mills, the Mayor of Storybrooke that ran the town her way and crushed anyone who dared to challenge her, was afraid of letting herself truly feel. To feel came with risks and the biggest was could she believe, and accept that someone could genuinely care about her without any ulterior motive. Every argument that she had ever had with herself and even the lessons that her mother had pounded into her during her 'training' came roaring out.

Loving someone was a weakness. Using that love to your advantage, gave you power. Feelings that others have for you could and should be manipulated to make you more powerful. The only feelings that were ever needed were hatred and revenge. Those two powerful emotions, when allowed to run amok, darkened and siphoned away the power of all other feelings, weakening them and even destroying them all in the quest for more power. In the end every other feeling, other than hatred and the need for revenge, was superfluous.

Emma was expecting a number of things to happen, more arguing, fighting, the silent cold treatment, but what she wasn't expecting was tasting warm, salty tears as they pooled against her lips.

Reluctantly she ends the kiss and puts just enough space between them so that she can look at Regina and yet still be touching. She feels the hand on the nape of her neck relax and slide away until it is resting on her shoulder. Her hand, that had been tangled in Regina's silky strands, gently cups her chin and lifts as her thumb gently wipes away the tears that are glistening on kiss swollen red lips. Regina sighs as she leans into the gentle motion of Emma's thumb.

Emma never believed the saying that the eyes are the window to the soul until she looked into the Regina's wide open eyes that were unencumbered by any wall or defense of any kind. She could see the pain, the fear, the remorse, the aching need and the deep, soul wrenching loneliness. She could see the innocent girl that had been so damaged in the name of love. She could see everything that had been forced into hiding to protect that small part of Regina's heart that wasn't overwhelmed with hatred and the need for revenge.

For the first time in a very long time Regina had no agenda, no plan and was instead simply allowing what was happening to happen. She knew there would be consequences to letting Emma in.

Enacting the curse was suppose to bring her her happy ending and for the first few years, she took great pleasure over destroying everyone's memories, but that soon gave way to the loneliness that she had felt before enacting the curse. So in the end what did she have to show for destroying the one person who still loved her unconditionally, nothing. In fact she was even lonelier than before she enacted the curse.

Emma was transfixed by the emotions that were running rampant within Regina eyes. As much as she wanted to help her fight, she knew that this was a battle that Regina had to fight on her own. She quickly removed the key to the handcuffs from her pocket and unlocked them. Both of her hands instantly went to rest against Regina's jaw, her thumbs softly caressing the smooth skin conveying all of her support. Green eyes stared into brown eyes, asking to accept the caring, the concern and even the love that was being freely given. A smile lit up her face when a simple nod was all it took from Regina to accept what was being offered.

"This won't be easy."

Emma laughs, "Since when has anything between us ever been easy. I don't won't someone that will simply agree with me all the time."

"More like you always agreeing with me."

"Like that is ever going to happen. I think I'd miss the arguing." Emma softly kisses Regina. "I know we have a lot to talk about but lets do it some place other than this cell." She looks around the cell before raising an eyebrow, "Though I'm sure it could tell some interesting stories."

"Mainly Leroy sleeping off his latest drunk."

Emma stands and offers her hand to Regina, who stares at it knowing that accepting this helping hand means more than being helped up from the cot she is sitting on. It means accepting Emma into her life as the birth mother of Henry, as a caring friend and as someone who could love her regardless of her past. And that past is what Regina fears the most. She pushes down her doubts and takes the next step in reclaiming the person she use to be before Daniel died. She was going to do her best to fulfill Daniel's final wish for her. She was going to learn to love again no matter what it cost her. And the woman that was offering her hand in support, was determined to be the person standing with and beside her.

She reaches out with her hand, pausing before making contact with Emma's. She looks up into green eyes that are offering so much if she was willing to jump. And jump she does. Her smile is matched by Emma's when her fingers close around the offered hand and feels the comforting and supporting squeeze of Emma's fingers around hers.

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N**  
**Just borrowing the characters except for Ana and Aisa.**  
**All mistakes are mine and anything in italics is a memory.**  
**This is an AU story with facts from the show.**

**Chapter 11**

A door slides open admitting Gold into his secret room. The smile on his face was giddy and devious which made his features even more contorted than they normally were. Gold could care less what anyone in this town thought about him. In fact his many walks around town, while primarily designed to allow his cane to collect any residual magic, though that rarely happened, allowed him the amusement of watching as the citizens of Storybrooke either scurried away, like the peasants he considered them to be, in fear or bending over backwards being subservient to the man that owned them. But even peasants have their uses and when the time was right he would use them as they were meant to be used, as fodder for the true holder of power.

His hand tightens on the cane as he walks over to the bench against the far wall. Ever since that woman, he still didn't know her name, had visited him he had had the strange feelings of being watched and he was having that feeling again. Doing his best to ignore the sensations skittering over his skin, he begins connecting a glass container to the device sitting on the table. Once he has the tube in the glass container sealed he unscrews the top of the cane and inserts the handle into the other end of the device. He begins to pump and to his surprise it only takes three pumps to fill the glass with the multicolored mist. He seals the container and quickly fills three more containers with the mist before his cane is emptied.

He picks up one of the newly filled jars and studies the mist contained within. Whereas the mist is multicolored, the same as it has always been on the few times he was able to collect any of the elusive magic in this world, this mist was different. It had a very slight bluish tinge. The evil cackle that filled the room would have had anyone cowering in fear not only from the unexpected noise but also from the unadulterated happiness that was emanating from Gold. "Finally everything is coming together. And soon everyone will learn the true depths of evil," his lip twitches and curls up in a snarl as his voice drops to a dangerous timbre, "especially….her."

Lost in his angry thoughts, Gold absentmindedly reassembles his cane. He exits the room with his cane taking the brunt of his anger each time the tip connects hard with the floor. As the door slides close, Ana appears in the room. She looks at the door, before walking over to the glass containers holding the mist and picking one up. She looks at the mist as a mischievous smile appears on her face. "Now now Mr. Gold. Can't have you interfering with my plans until I say so." The light blue tinge lightens even further in the glass in her hand. She touches each of the other containers until the blue in each is almost gone. The mist in the containers swirl as laughter fills the air.

Archie, Henry and Pongo are hurrying past the diner when Mary-Margaret and Ruby exit the building. Ruby calls out to the small group. "Where are you guys going in such a hurry?" Henry glances over his shoulder but never stops moving forward, "To the dunes to see if the dead man is there?"

Mary-Margaret and Ruby eyes widen as they stare at the rapidly disappearing trio and then to themselves. "Did he say the dead man?" The two women quickly run after the trio with Ruby calling out, "Wait for us."

Pongo bounds ahead as Henry and Archie slow down only enough for Mary-Margaret and Ruby to catch up with them.

Mary-Margaret glances at Archie and Henry as they continue towards the dunes. "Why do you think there's a dead man in the dunes?"

Henry rolls his eyes as if the answer would be obvious to the person who had given him the book in the first place, "Because Archie and I saw it in the book."

"The book of fairy tales that I gave you? I wasn't aware that a dead man being found in the dunes was a fairy tale story?"

Henry comes to an abrupt stop as does the other three people. Even Pongo stops and tilts his head to one side trying to figure out why everyone has stopped. "No, Archie and I saw it happen in the book."

Ruby looks at Henry with confusion. "I thought it was just a book on fairy tales?"

Henry shakes his head trying to figure out how to explain what he and Archie saw to make Ruby and Mary-Margaret believe. "It is. But when we added a new page, a picture appeared and it showed Aisa, with a pair of shears. She cut a faded green thread and a man in the dunes fell over. I think he's dead."

Mary-Margaret knew that Henry had an active imagination before she gave him the book but this new story has her shaking her head in disbelief especially since it wasn't directly related to fairy tales as were the other stories in the book. She turns to Archie, "Do you believe any of this?"

Archie clasps Henry on the shoulder. He may not have believed before but he can't deny what he saw. "Yes. I was with Henry and saw the same thing he did."

Mary-Margaret and Ruby stand in shock but before they can say anything Archie, being pulled by Henry and Pongo resume their movement towards the dunes, "We're going to the dunes. We'll let you know if we find anything."

Ruby is already opening her cell, "I'm calling Emma now and she can tell Regina what's going on."

Mary-Margaret shakes her head, "Regina is not going to be happy that Archie is letting Henry go and search, of all places, the dunes for of all things, an alleged dead body." Ruby shakes her head and smiles, "Why do you think I'm calling Emma first?"

Mary-Margaret's grabs Ruby's arm as she finally realizes what Henry has said. The uneasiness in her voiced, "Ruby?" has Ruby pausing in making her call, "What?"

Mary-Margaret's eyes widen as she turns to Ruby, "Who's Aisa and why does she have shears in her hand? And why is she cutting a faded green thread? And why would anyone go into the dunes after you know what happened there?" She stares at her friend then slowly turn to look at Henry, Archie and Pongo as they round a corner on the way to the harbor and to the dunes. "Why do I feel like what's about to happen is going to change everything?"

The two women, the concern easy to see on both of their faces, resume following Henry, Archie and Pongo with Ruby calling Emma on her cell.

With a gentle tug, Emma pulls Regina upward until she's standing. The clank of metal hitting the floor has both women glancing downward to find the open handcuffs resting between their feet. Regina arches her eyebrow as she looks from the handcuffs to the smirking Emma. The lilting timbre of her voice easily reflects her amusement at the situation. "Really Sheriff? Do I need to remind you that you are responsible for any and all damages done to city property if said property is not being used to the benefit of the citizens of Storybrooke?"

Never letting loose of the hand entwined with hers, Emma bends down, grabs the handcuffs and looks up into Regina's twinkling eyes. "But who determines whether or not it benefits the citizens?" Unhurriedly she stands allowing the handcuffs to slowly close as they occasionally brush against Regina's leg that trembles with each touch. "I think that…" the ringing of the phone has Emma and Regina rolling their eyes at the interruption.

Reluctantly Emma releases Regina's hand and walks out of the cell muttering under her breath, "It had better be about a dead body and not a cat up a tree." Unconsciously she slides the handcuffs into the pocket of her jeans.

Chuckling and enjoying the mutterings from the annoyed Sheriff, Regina follows but rather than exiting the cell, she leans against the open door watching Emma as she snatches the phone off the hook and brusquely answers, "Sheriff's office." When Emma stiffens and snarls, "What do you mean Henry and Archie looking for a dead body in the dunes?" has Regina's eyes widening in concern as all she hears is _dead body, Henry and the dunes_.

She pushes away from the cell door and strides to the desk in just a few quick steps and grabs her purse, that some how has ended up on a desk, and starts for the door when she is spun around by Emma grabbing her arm. She tries to twist out of the hold and like any worried mother, and not the Mayor, is about to release an angry retort at being prevented from getting to her son, when Emma stares at her with an understanding look as well as a pleading look to wait. She takes a calming breath or as calming as she can since her heart is racing from the fear of something happening to Henry. The hand on her arm also is helping to calm her nerves and surprisingly she relaxes as Emma finishes her conversation with a terse, "We'll met you at the dunes and do not let Henry go searching no matter what he says," and slams the phone down.

"Emma…."

Never letting loose of Regina's arm, because she knows if she does Regina will be out the door, she clips her holster and her badge onto her belt, grabs her phone and the keys to the cruiser. "Let's go." The two women quickly exit the room. Both are consumed with the possible scenarios from the limited information they have concerning Henry looking for a dead body and yet they both are exuding a semblance of calm. Neither woman notices that there hands have naturally interlaced as they hurried out of the Sheriff's office nor do they question the calming feeling from the simple connection.

Ruby closes her cell and turns to Mary-Margaret. "They're on the way and want us to met them on the pathway and we're to try and keep Henry from going into the dunes."

"I hope Henry's wrong about there being a body."

"So do I, because otherwise the overly protective mother bear known as Regina," Ruby shudders at the thought, "is going to make Archie wish he had never been born."

"Emma's going to be just as bad."

In the distance, and getting louder, they can hear the faint wail of the Sheriff's cruiser. The two women cringe and quicken their pace hoping to find Archie before the beyond irate Sheriff and Mayor find him.

At the edge of the dunes, Archie barely holds back an excited Henry. "Henry, you need to slow down." Henry stops and looks at Archie, "Don't you see Archie, if the body is there then I can prove everything in the book is real."

Archie grasps Henry's shoulders as he tries to dart further into the dunes. "And what about your mother?"

Questioning eyes turn to Archie, "Emma will finally believe what I've been trying to tell her, that she's the savior."

Archie shakes his head, "I was talking about Regina. How do you think she's going to feel?" Watching the conflicting emotions race across Henry's eyes as he ponders the question. "Remember there are two sides to every story and Regina needs, no has to be allowed to tell her side of the story. And you need to listen."

The contrasting sounds of an excited Pongo, the wail of the approaching Sheriff's car and his concern over Henry seeing a dead body has Archie torn. He knows that he is about to face the wrath of two angry mothers who just happen to be the Mayor and the Sheriff. He remembers the anger that was directed at him when he interrupted their conversation in the garage and knows that that will pale in comparison to the anger he is sure to face from the present situation that he finds himself in. Hopefully what he is about to do will lessen their anger but he would rather them be angry at him than Henry. "Henry, I want you to stay here and wait for your mother and Emma."

"Archie, but…" The rest of Henry's statement is muffled by Archie's fingers covering his mouth. "No. If there is a body, neither of your mothers are going to be very happy if you were to see it. They are going to be mad enough that I let you come to the dunes looking in the first place." He glances over his shoulder and sighs with relief when he sees Ruby and Mary-Margaret hurrying down the pathway heading towards the dunes He can also see that other citizens are also approaching. He turns Henry so he can see the approaching women, "Promise me Henry that you'll go and stay with Ruby and Mary-Margaret until your mothers get here."

"Okay." Archie watches as a very dejected Henry walks as slowly as possible towards Ruby and Mary-Margaret. He waits until the women reach Henry knowing if he doesn't Henry will do everything possible to help find the body in the dunes. He lifts his hand in acknowledgement to Ruby and Mary-Margaret before turning and walking deeper into the dunes towards the excited barking of Pongo.

The wail of the siren on the Sheriff's car is such a rare occurrence that it has many of the residents happy to know that Emma has returned and concerned over what's happened that has required the need for the use of the siren. The gossip grapevine that is extensive and fast, it would put the best supercomputer to shame at its speed, in a small town lives up to its reputation. It quickly spreads that something is going on in the dunes, which is where the Sheriff is going in such a hurry. The speed of this news, while fast, was not nearly as fast as the white hot gossip concerning the Sheriff and the Mayor; they were seen exiting the Sheriff's office holding hands.

No one could ever remember Mayor Mills ever holding hands with anyone other than her son. In fact, other than her dalliance with the late Sheriff, why she tried to keep it hidden no one ever dared to ask, none could ever remember her being with someone. Granted there were some in town that thought that the Mayor being alone was barely adequate punishment for treating the town as if it were her own fiefdom and they were merely peasants that were at the beck and call of the Queen.

Now others didn't like the way the Mayor treated them, okay most of the time she was a bitch in and on heels but no one could argue that she got things done. And if Regina wasn't the Mayor, what other option would they have. Reluctantly many agreed that having Regina as Mayor, even at her bitchiest, was preferable to say Mr. Gold being Mayor. After all a large percentage of the town either owed or was owned by the feared businessman and many shuddered at the thought of Gold having the additional power of the Mayor's office at his disposal. So while many hated Regina, she was the lesser of two evils and was the only one that refused to back down from Gold until Emma appeared in town

And Emma was a breath of fresh air to a town that didn't even realize it needed it. She stood up to Regina and gave as well as she took. And making a deal with Gold to insure that Ashley kept her baby, well that inspired many in the town. They shuddered to think what Gold would ask of Emma, but many wondered if for once it wasn't Gold that was getting the better end of the deal.

Emma had changed the dynamic of a town that needed it. Now whether this change was good or bad depended on whom you asked. But the facts were undeniable, she stood up to the Mayor and took risks to help people she barely knew. Yes, that was part of her job as Deputy and as the Sheriff but she didn't have to go to the extremes. She didn't have to save Regina from the fire, though many in town were ashamed to admit they would have hesitated in saving the Mayor, she didn't have to admit the fire was staged by Gold, she didn't have to arrest Gold when he attacked Moe and she could have slinked out of town after the fiasco over the money that had been used to build the new playground, but she didn't. She stood her ground, admitted her mistakes, held her head high and refused to bend to the will of either Regina or Mr. Gold. All were traits that the citizens of Storybrooke admired her for and wished that they were capable of emulating.

Everyone in town knew that Emma was no saint. Sydney's front page editorials made her past incidents common knowledge. But what Sydney and Regina failed to understand was by revealing this information it made the citizens feel like Emma was one of them, not a common criminal that had her son in prison and then gave him up for adoption, but a person trying to be better. So Regina's attempt to turn the citizens against Emma had the opposite effect, they embraced her as their champion. They may be scared to openly voice their support but they showed it in so many other ways, one of which was electing her Sheriff in direct opposition to Regina's choice.

Ruby and Mary-Margaret had made it well known how Regina was acting in the Sheriff's office during the two day search for Emma. To say they were astounded to hear that the rigid, uptight Mayor was not only laughing at jokes but also making jokes would have sent many straight to the Doctor to find out why they were having delusions if this information hadn't been the lesser of two, but still shocking, revelations. That shocking greater revelation was when they were told of the heart aching pain in Regina's voice when she uttered, _'Emma, where are you?_'

Now if the citizens had even a glimmer of what had occurred in the garage many would have told you they were more than likely to believe in Henry's stories about the book. After all who would ever believe that the Mayor and the Sheriff were kissing not as adversaries but as lovers that had been separated for a long time. And perhaps if anyone had seen what happened in the garage they would have realized that the standoffish, rigid Mayor Mills wasn't as cold and unfeeling as she appeared. Maybe she really was capable of having feelings and all it took was an annoying blonde in a red leather jacket. But only three people were aware of what happened in the garage and none of them were talking.

Small groups of citizens were milling around the edge of the dunes waiting for the Sheriff to arrive on the scene. Ruby and Mary-Margaret, each had a hand on Henry's shoulders to keep him from following Archie. They turn as one when the Sheriff's car comes to a screeching halt and an angry yet also concerned Emma and Regina exit the vehicle almost as soon as it comes to a stop and quickly make their way to the two women and Henry.

Henry, knowing the look on his mother's face breaks free and launches himself into his startled mother's arms. "I'm sorry mom."

Regina, for her part, is stunned that Henry has actually initiated the embrace rather than grudgingly accepting her attempts to hug him. The people nearby are expecting Regina to scold her son as she has done in the past and what they got was more gossip for the small town grapevine. Rather than scold him, she hugs him tightly, melting into the soothing feeling of his arms around her neck. And rather than losing the feeling of closeness, that has been few and far between recently, she only has a slight edge to her voice but enough for Henry to know she's upset with him, "We'll talk later about you leaving the house, but Emma and I want to know why you think there's a dead body in the dunes?"

The surprise on his face at his mother calling his birth mother Emma, would have astounded his mother if she had seen his face but it was hidden against her side where her arms were holding him tight.

Henry hesitates not sure how to tell his mother that he and Archie were looking at the book. Besides he needs to talk to Emma to tell her what happened with the book and he can't do that if his mother is present. He looks at Emma and finds concern but also a questioning look. He nods his head to indicate that he's okay but also realizes that she is about to ask him questions that he can't answer until they are alone. He's saved from answering when he notices Archie coming from around the point. Sighing with relief he points out the obvious as a distraction, "There's Archie." Everyone turns to look to find Archie beckoning with his hand indicating he's found something.

Regina loosens her grip on Henry and steps back just enough to be able to see and study her son. She barely keeps the amusement from her features as he's trying desperately to not appear overly interested in Archie and what he's found in the dunes. She also recognizes his fidgeting when he trying to hide something from her. She's become well versed in that mannerism ever since the book and Emma entered her life. Knowing this isn't the time for this conversation she looks at Henry. "You, young man will stay here with Miss Lucas and Miss Blanchard." She learns closer and whispers in his ear, "We will discuss this later." He nods his head and whispers back, "I think he's at the fort."

Regina starts to ask him how he knows but the pleading look on his face has her simply nodding her head in understanding. As she starts walking toward Archie, who is still waiting in the dunes, her progress is stopped by Emma's hand on her arm.

"You can't go out into the dunes…" Regina pulls her arm free, "Excuse me?" Emma nods toward the four inch heels that grace the Mayor's feet, "wearing those heels."

Regina's glances downward and then up to met Emma's eyes, "I see. As I have no other footwear I really have no choice unless you're," no one but Emma sees the playful quirk of her eyebrow, "proposing to carry me Sheriff?"

Before Emma can answer the moment is broken by a hesitant, "You can borrow mine." Has Regina's head snapping around so fast that you could almost hear her neck muscles screaming at the movement. Her eyes narrow as she watches Mary-Margaret kneel and begin removing her hiking boots. Her nostrils flare in disgust at the offer and her internal voice is snarling at the thought of ever wearing anything that belonged to Mary-Margaret Blanchard especially sweaty hiking boots.

"Regina," Regina's eyes track to Emma's green eyes, "Either you accept Mary-Margaret's offer or you stay on the pathway until I get back." The little twitch of Regina's lip is the only warning Emma gets that she is about to offer another solution but Emma has already anticipated what is about to be said and holds up her hand, "And no you can't walk in your bare feet. I don't want you stepping on something."

With no response coming forth from Regina, Emma shrugs her shoulders. "I'll be back as soon as I see what Archie's found." She barely takes five steps away from the pathway but stops at a resigned, "Wait." She turns and barely suppresses a smile as Regina toes off her heels and reluctantly steps into Mary-Margaret's hikers that have been placed by her feet.

She barely contains the grimace of disgust as the school teachers sweaty boots slide over her feet. She quickly ties the laces, but like anything that Regina wears, she makes these common hiking boots her own. The height difference between the Mayor and the Sheriff was never really noticeable until now, but even wearing hiking boots, her stature still exudes power.

Regina follows Emma into the dunes toward Archie. Unbeknownst to Regina, this simple action was even more gossip for the town grapevine to spread. Rarely had Regina ever been seen in anything other than power heels and definitely not in someone else's shoes and especially those of Mary-Margaret Blanchard.

Archie swallows nervously as Emma and Regina approach him in the dunes. He's wishing now more than ever that he hadn't heard and seen what occurred in the garage. He shakes his head to dismiss the images from his mind as they are not relevant at the moment. No, he needs to remain focused on the body that he's found as well as how he's going to explain how he and Henry knew where to look. This was not a conversation that he was looking forward to especially now with the mercurial Mayor being forced to step out of her power heels and into Mary-Margaret's shoes. He can see the grimace with each step and knows that its only a matter of time before her displeasure of being forced to wear those hikers would be directed at him as he was the reason she was walking in the dunes in Mary-Margaret's sweaty hiking boots.

His thoughts are interrupted when Emma asks, "Care to explain why you and Henry seem to think that there's a dead body in the dunes." He starts to talk and takes a slight step backwards when Regina's lips curl in a snarl that disappears almost as fast as it appeared. His eyes dart downward and notices that Emma's fingers are barely making contact with Regina's hand in a calming motion. "Ummmm."

He can see the fire in Regina's eyes and regardless of Emma's calming attempts he is resigned to the approaching verbal attack. It comes, but not as vicious as he was expecting. "Ummm Dr. Hopper. That is the extent of your answer." She takes a step closer until she is literally in his personal space. Her voice drops into a deeper condescending timbre that while he has heard this tone of voice before, it's the first time that it's ever been directed at him. "I would like to know why you thought it was advisable to bring an impressionable young man out to look, in the dunes of all places, for an alleged dead body." He swallows nervously and wishes that the sand that he is standing on would open up and take him anywhere, anywhere where Regina wasn't.

Emma grabs Regina's arm, "Mayor?" and when she fails to respond, Emma steps forward and turns until she is between Regina and Archie. She waits for Regina's eyes to track to her, "Regina, if Archie hadn't come, you and I both know that Henry would have come looking in the dunes by himself."

Emma can see the thought of Henry being by himself and how he could be hurt by the finding of a dead body if said dead body actually existed flying through Regina's thoughts. She glances at the still intimidated Archie then back to Emma. Her condescending timbre still colors her voice but has lessen in its intensity, "Fine, but he should have called you first before taking our son out to look for a dead body."

To say Archie was surprised to ever hear Regina refer to Henry as her and Emma's son ranked up there with them ever getting along, but today had been a day of firsts. The smile that starts to appear is wiped away by the stern look from the Mayor. "She's right, Henry would have come to the dunes whether I was with him or not. At least this way I kept him from seeing something he shouldn't have."

That simple statement got Emma's attention and she spins to face him. "So you found something?"

Archie nods his head, "Found someone and yes he's dead." He quickly turns and heads further into the dunes knowing that Emma and Regina will be following.

"Do you know where we're going."

Regina glances around, memories flooding her conscious of the many hours she and Henry had played in the dunes. She couldn't remember the last time she and Henry had come to the fort and simply played. She'd like to say it hadn't been since the book had entered their lives but she couldn't blame the book for the end of their fort playing. Her lips quirk from a memory she had almost forgotten about since the book and Emma had entered her life.

_The games and stories they both had created from the various objects that had washed ashore were images and memories that she had once treasured and until now had forgotten about. She smiles at his determination to build the bestest fort, as he called it, from all of the drift wood and other objects they found on the shore. She never told him that she often came out by herself to ensure that they would find what they needed. No, that was a secret that she had never told anyone. Though there were times when she caught him studying something on the beach and she could see him puzzling out why the exact or close to exact object that they needed, suddenly appeared just when they required it. Her reasoning to herself was that she didn't want to disappoint her son and would do anything to keep him happy. And if that meant scrounging along the shore looking for drift wood and other debris and moving it closer to their fort so he could find it, then that's what she was willing to do. Of course to maintain her Mayoral appearance, she usually did her shore excursions at night._

_In fact her frequent excursions in the night had lead to rumors concerning the occasional glimpse of her flashlight in and around the dunes. The rumors, as rumors have a tendency to do, were embellished to the point that every possible scenario was covered. Her personal favorite was the light was a ghost looking for its lost treasure. The most accepted rumor was that there was some sort of illegal activities taking place in the dunes. She barely could keep the smile off her face when she'd hear the latest gossip about what was really going on in the dunes. Once she overheard that some of the more daring citizens were going to hide out in the dunes to catch whomever or whatever was exploring the dunes at night as the Sheriff didn't seem able to catch the culprits. Whatever was causing the lights in the dunes seemed to know when the Sheriff was staking out the dunes and knew not to make an appearance._

_Regina knew she was taking a risk when she decided to have some fun, of course at the citizens expense and not hers. She created a distraction far from where the lights were normally seen and simply waited for the best time to implement her plan. She didn't have long to wait before learning when the undercover operation was taking place. Even better the night they had chosen was going to be the night of the new moon which meant it was going to be very dark in the dunes. But to be safe, she made sure that Graham was busy with a disturbance as far away from the dunes as possible. He was the one person she was slightly concerned with catching her red handed._

_With the amount of time she and Henry had spent in the dunes, she knew every twist and turn and this knowledge would be very beneficial if her plan was to be successful._

_She waited until the 'undercover group' were getting agitated from nothing happening when she implemented her plan. She had carefully dressed herself all in black and using her knowledge of chemicals created a compound that when mixed created a temporary flash of light and would burn for a set amount of time. The reaction time gave her just enough of a head start to get in position for when the 'undercover group' came to investigate._

_And investigate they did. They found the partially obscured and well weathered chest in the sand. She barely contained her laughter at the ensuing arguments over what was in the chest and who's it was. She waited until they started to carry the very, very heavy chest, that slowed their progress, through the dunes when the second part of her plan began._

_She began a low moaning that was designed to only catch everyone's attention. It was neither loud enough not clear enough for her words to be understood. And the careful placement of speakers added to the illusion and helped create more confusion. The brave 'undercover group' were shining their flashlights everywhere they seemed to think that they heard a voice and yet found nothing. The new moon was making it hard for their flashlights to penetrate the darkness which was making Regina's plan work even better._

_She began whispering, "My treasure," in her low moan and then changed to, "Thieves" Making sure to draw out each and every word to cause more chaos. She barely suppressed her laughter over the arguments of whether they should leave the chest, and come back in the morning for it, or continue taking it with them. She knew that it was only a matter of time before the group would make a run to get out of the dunes and away from the eerie voice that seemed to be everywhere. It was time to implement the next part of her plan. She increased the volume of her voice and said, "You dare to steal what is mine." Out of nowhere, and in the ensuing confusion, it made it seem as if the fireballs were coming from every direction as they began landing in the sand around the group._

_Each time one of the fireballs landed, it exploded sending sparks everywhere. Now Regina had been careful with this mixture, it only exploded on contact with sand, as she didn't really want to hurt anyone. Okay if someone just happened to get a little singed from the sparks, that just added to her enjoyment. She knew there was also the possibility of other injuries when they panicked and ran, but a little pain never hurt anyone as long as it wasn't Regina who was feeling the pain. Besides she hadn't had this much fun in ages._

_Hearing the panic, she began the last part of her plan. She took off various parts of her black outerwear creating a vision of a ghost with parts missing. She had used camouflage paint to make her face and hands invisible in the dark and yet put fluorescent paint in strands of her hair so she appeared to have no face that was surrounded by glowing hair._

_She stood up on a dune waiting until someone spotted her. She didn't have to wait long and if they could have seen her face they would have seen nothing but enjoyment at the spectacle that she was creating. She began talking, her voice amplified by the various speakers, "Your punishment is at hand for those that dare to steal from me." She laughs maniacally as she reaches behind her and seemingly holds a fireball where her hand should be but to the terrified group below her it appeared to them that she had no hands and the fireball was resting at the end of her arm. She begins tossing fireballs at the group while laughing maniacally. She may be creating these fireballs by using chemicals but to her it felt like she was using magic again and the joy that was radiating through her body was indescribable._

_The terrified group stares, as Regina continues to rain fireballs around them until one lands close enough that some of the sparks land on clothes. The frantic slapping at flames on the clothes breaks the frozen stances and the group begins to run for their lives leaving the chest behind. Fireballs continue to follow them as does the voice warning them, "Never return or you will join me for eternity." More maniacally laughter fills the night. It would be described, and of course embellished, as the ghost's final warning to never return when it was actually Regina's pure enjoyment from watching the residents flee from the 'ghost' that was guarding its treasure._

Regina glances at Emma and nods. "We're close to the fort that Henry and I built before…before everything changed."

Archie mutters, "I'm surprised anyone would come out here after the ghost incident." He's spun around until he's facing Emma. "What ghost incident?" He starts to answer but is cut off by Regina. "Somebody started a story that they saw a ghost and the story was embellished to the point of improbability that no one ever ventures into the dunes."

An indignant Archie tries to defend his friends that had experienced the incident. "There were fireballs being thrown."

Regina quirks her lips in amusement. "Were you there Dr. Hopper?" Archie wipes his hands on his pants and drops his gaze, "No, I wasn't. But that doesn't mean it didn't happen."

Emma rubs her forehead at the headache she can feel building. "Did Graham investigate?"

Regina huffed in indignation that she would not ensure that the incident, even though she had caused it, was not thoroughly investigated, "He and I both did. And we found no evidence of fireballs, no alleged treasure chest, no foot prints where the ghost was suppose to be…"

Archie meekly states, "Ghosts wouldn't leave foot prints." He wishes he knew when to just stay quiet especially in front of Regina but as usual he can't as evident by her annoyed growl, "And you would be an expert in ghosts I presume Dr. Hopper?" She leans forward stopping whatever he was going to say, "As fascinating as I'm sure the Sheriff will find that particular story we should be focusing on the body that you've said you found." She steps past the other two and walks deeper into the dunes.

Emma bumps Archie's shoulder and smiles, "You can tell me all about it later." They follow Regina. "Archie?"

He glances at Emma and then forward to Regina, who he finds oddly seems to know where she's going until he remembers Henry told him about the fort that he and his mother had built in the dunes. "What?"

"If you believe in the ghost story, then why would you go into the dunes?"

His laughter is forced but she can hear the underlying fear. "I'm more scared of Regina than I am of a ghost story that may or may not be true."

"Thanks Archie." He nods his head as she jogs forward to catch up with Regina. He mutters to himself, "Even a ghost would be afraid of Regina especially if it was threatening those…" his eyes widen and he stops walking and studies the closeness of the two women as they unconsciously leaned towards each as they continued to walk,"….she loved." The epiphany that Archie was having was not a light bulb going off but rather the full intensity of a lighthouse beam that was focusing all of its wattage in one place. He finally understood why Regina failed to drive Emma out of town, why she was always finding the flimsiest of excuses to be in the presence of the Sheriff, why they always seemed to be at odds, why she was so concerned when Emma had disappeared and why they were kissing in the garage. The mercurial, rigid Mayor was finally allowing herself to feel love.

He had told Henry before they left the Mayor's house that if Emma saved the Evil Queen from herself, then she would be defeated. And what better way to save someone than by helping them rediscover the one feeling that comes with the greatest of risks but also promises the greatest of rewards and that was love.

Some would argue that trying to help Regina rediscover that she was capable of love was an exercise in futility and yet it had already begun when Emma's appearance in town began upsetting the rigidly compartmentalized life of one Regina Mills.

Thinking about everything that had happened since Emma came to town, Archie realized that it was not only Emma that had caused change, but it was also Regina actions. And the greatest impact of Regina's actions was when she tried to force Emma out of town and instead the opposite happened: the woman that never stayed in one city for very long, decided to stay and to put down roots. And that one action started a thaw, that many thought highly improbable if not impossible, around not one but two women's battered hearts.

He still had a lot of questions that needed to be answered but that was going to have to wait until after they left the dunes. Still deep in thought, he hurries after the two women and fails to realize that once again Pongo has disappeared.

Emma bumps shoulders with Regina and leans a little closer. Her voice only loud enough for her to hear, "Soooo, did you start the rumor about the ghost to keep your fort a secret?" A soft chuckle escapes from Regina, "No."

Her eyes flicker towards the brunette, "I know there's more than what you're telling me. Perhaps later you'll tell me the all of the rumors about this ghost and what allegedly happened?"

Regina's smile is both mischievous and with a hint of a promise of something more. "Perhaps." She points to a dune, "We're almost to the fort." They walk around the edge of the dune and find an older man, who simply looked like he was sleeping against the dune wrapped tightly in a trench coat. His shoulder length, messy, brown hair covered his face until a gentle breeze exposes his features.

Emma continues forward beginning to examine the area unaware that Regina has come to an abrupt halt. If she had turned to look back she would have seen an uncharacteristic shocked look gracing Regina's features. She would have attributed it to seeing a dead body, but Emma would have been wrong with that assumption. For the look had nothing to do with seeing a dead body. Regina had seen plenty of bodies as the Evil Queen, both from a distance and up close and personal, and they meant little to her, except for her father's body. No, what had stopped her in her tracks was that she knew who or rather she knew where she had seen him and that's what has her worried.

**TBC**

**A/N: Obvious I'm playing with chemical reactions so that Regina can have fun throwing fireballs without using magic. And yes, flirting while getting ready to investigate a death could be considered morbid but at the time neither Emma not Regina know for sure that there is a dead body.**


End file.
